The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-01-18

Innate way under the Constitution ma
laws ofthe State In this the persons co,r
posing the latter class, have shown him.
ciple Of honor which We should moi fan
10 recognize; and certainly no s,rou"e,
reason Than their conduct, could BE- ufs,,
10 show that II political rights BIZ r,st9ped
10 them, they will not be used To the Der
Timent OF the State, or tor the subypr,lon
offs laws.
The Endorsement of this proposed
amendment by y0n, and It's ratiicallonbr
lie neople, VIII put m end to much I,
the luminosity and bitterness rtsullIDo
from ourrecent civil war.
....-..---srATE CONVENTION.
For some time past public attentiOnhs,
been called TO the subject If holding
State Convention to remodel the CunSti'
mtIon, Should tic matter come before
You, It will bepropet 10 inquire whcthe,
the defects in the organic law oil the STATE
arc of sucll q character us 10 Justify he
large expenditure Of money which tbe
holding Of o convention must NECESSARILY
entail upon tho people. Its sale to say
that the Constitution has not been IN
operation sufficiently. long to determine
how far its provisions, generally, are
adapted TO the wants OF the public Met
oEthose provisions which have been lest.
ed have met with very general approval
and are Just beginning TO be understood
and further experiment, 1t is believed
will demonstrate that most OF those which
have mot been thus thoroughly tried will
be found to work equally well.
The present Constitution Is not the woik
ola single political party; the leading and
active members Of the convention which
framed Il were not only among tic mst
gilted men In the State, many OF them
having had considerable experience ia de.
Lucrative bodies, but. will be fOun,l about
equally divided between the two great
political parties. -q.5:s
The cost Of holding u convention is IN
item that should be very deliberately con,
sidered, especially In view Of the Tact that
our citizens have been necessarily taxed
heavily, to meet obligations growing oul
Of the war, 10 erect public buildings, 10
pay current expenses, and To inaugunlt
our system Of free school education.
Tireespecial elections become neceSl,
ry,sif a convention is!heldatan early tAN
the first to determine whether il shall 6t
held; the next-should the people decide
To hold One-lo elect delegates thereto;
and The third "a. ratify or reject the work
Of tic convention. An ordinary State
election, including the amount expended
In each county, costs about $20,OOO; lhr
aggregate expense, therefore, Of these
three elections would tbe $4,000 The
cost Of the convention itself could moi "
less than $4,000, which, aaled 10 the cHt
Of the three elections, makes $l00NW
But the outlay could not stop here. An
extra session OF the Legislature would
become Indispensable 10 enact laws To
CONFORM To the new or amended cnnstiln'
ton, and another session To succeed this
one would be necessary TO cOdily thcl1ws
thus enacted andtlen must iDllOw lllc
publication OF new code oil laws, before
the present. one, prepared ut great expense,
Is fairly placed IN thehanls 81 our citizens
It'll apparent FROM this, that the cost Ola
convention and subsequent Legislation
made necessary by could moi h. less
than $3.50, COO, mil Is much more likrly to
exceed than iall short Of tlisamOuni. II
will require considerations pl lhr inst
conclusive and Overwhelming cliaNClcrto
satisfy tile taX.paycrsthattilc expenditure
Of this large sum oil money is necessary
for the purpose indicated; especially in
the face oi The fact That many OC our pub
lie buildings are yet unfinished. AMI that
our nlortunato deal, dumb, blind, anlin
sane are but partiallyprovitle,l) Tor; mud
with the still more. lnFmllable fact con
fronting US that within q short time our
State must assume and provide for lrr
just proportion OF the virgihia debt, 1t
Is very certain, too, that tho holding Of
convention will necesstateAn increase in
the ate Of taxation; and this III view Of
the heavy local taxes heretofore levied,
and the straitoned condition Of our fnan
ces, would be little less than u public ca
lamity. b,t
The pretext that convention is ncCcs.
sary TO amend the constitution 80 rs to
pr9fide more lampls salaries f9r,publc
officers, Is not, in my opinion, well found
cd. 1t is perhaps true that the cOmpcnSI
ton fixed by that instrument was too low
Tor the prices Of living which prevailed
during the war and for Q time succeeding
III Bptthc. fact must notSje overlooked
that values are gradually d f0bping Ii dbr
peace Standard : That they Wit reach i IN
n brief time cannot be doubted; and wlIrn
they do, the present salaries will ben fair
compensation for the service TO be rem.
dercd.
Equally grOundless Is tue demand Tor ii
change In the fundamental law SO As 10
dispense with what arc termed unneCps
sary Offices, whose. incnmbcnts, 10 IL alleE
ed, ,eat out the substance Of tic people
The truth is, there arc but lew, II any,
nfics thaticanbe wiselyidispchsell viii
besides, no pay Is attached 10 many OF
these pOsitions. Them againppearIy nil
them, except tic Suite Offices, arc created
by legislative action, and may be abolish.
cd by itif found Desirable. ~ ~
But even where u modification of the
Constitution becomes necessary, It may h.
made quite rs speedily as the public inter,
est requires BY passing the proposed
amendment through the Legislature and
submitting II to tlie people for ratification
or rejection, In The manner prescribed in
the instrument itsoltU This mode has tlr
advantage Of aYolling sudden and violent
changes, Too aptito be- made under thr
heat Of party excitement, as well us the
immense cost Of q convention.
The only; proposed \ alteration in the
Constitution, about which public Interest
has beep.m apyeOpslderable degrees man.
Tested, Is that inauglrated at the last
session oftliG Legislature, for the pnr.
pose Of amending the fist. section Of
Article Ill thereof, so rs To invest with
political privileges tho present tlslran
cllised citizens oil tho State who gave vol
untary aid 10 the rebellion, aud to change
the language Of the SAME section. 81 asto
make u conform t0sSArticlp Nv Of the
amendments 10 ilie Constitution nfthc
United StAfnS ~ 1Itt flS,s ntonS,sr1 ut,,N,ul.