The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-08-21

huulCuilsu III lhc past ltel nssuTtu
against their repetition, in the contin-
gcncy of the curse ola renewed Radi.
cal Osccndaucy, except by the incorpo.
ration of plain, positive and uneQuiyo.
cal prohibitions in another aud new
Constitution,
That reforms, as to these defects,
will, We uuhcsitatingly assure CDR
friculs, fla Convention should be
called, be proposed to the people, there
can be no doubt. And while it is not
proper, in a paper cmana,ing from US,
to point ont in detail the many "thcr
reforms which will be Incorporated yet
we indulge the confident hope and be.
lief, that in n body composed as it will
be, of wise, prudent, aud able men, Sc
lcctcd from the body Of the People,
that We may look for reformation in
our County organizations, which, in
practice, has subjected us to moustrons
burdens Of Taxation, which is the re-.
suit of and is inherent in the present
Constitution, and therefore beyond the
reach of mere Legislative correction.
That the Judiciary, which was, by
the present Constitution. dc%gmeily
made subordinate to. and an instru-
mcut to carry out Legislative bchests,
by making the Judges subject to cx-
pulsion without real cause, by mere
partizan Legislative majority, will be
restored to its normal purity and indie.
pcndcnce; aud at the same time give
assurance, in the administration of the
Laws ofJustice II all!
That wise ana judicious provisions
will be incorporated, aTording protCc.
ton to all alike, intoxicating a broad
and just sentiment Of harmony, amiry,
concord, aud kindly feclin 6 amongus
al. which are so essential to enterprise,
business relations, thrift and prospcri-
ty in the land
This, it is not reasonable to suppose,
can follow or be obtained, unless We
have Constitution which derives its
powers an / authority from the consent
Of the governed. Such is not the
character Of our present Constitution .
but, upon the contrary, its authority
is derived partly from an alleged nillr-
native vote of Is, 900 people, out OF u
voting population exceeding 10000,
and partly by the bchest of the Con.
grcs; of the United States This is not
the character of government, even il
unobicctiouablc in form, which Demo.
Gratis most delight to honor, and
which, il they do justice to themselves,
will be superseded by one not only
unobjcctionable in dcta !, but which
will have the sanction and approval Of
majority of all the Free Voters of
the State!
Fellow. Democrats! The Radical
party of this State, to divert your at
tcntiou from the execution Of pur
pose to reform your organic law, aud
to induce you to rcPuliate the action
of the Democratic putty in the Lrgis-
laturc, have avoided making a defence
of these most Objectionable features in
the present Constitution, and have
sought, by exaggerated estimates, and
employing unscrupulously the faculty
of misrepresentation, to mislcad you
into the belief that a Convention will
subject you to encrous charges to de.
fray its expenses. These new
born economists, when prnc,icing their
proaigutc expenditures to pay Boards
Of Registration, aud their pets aud GU
ployecs simply to maintain power, for
get to practice what they SO glibly
preach, and squandercd, in disfrauchis-
ing your fellow. citizens, during the
past five years, enough to pay the costs
Of Mt least hro Constitutional Conrcn.
tons! In reply and for suceinct an.
swer to all their exaggerated estimates,
it is sufficient to say: That the pro-
posed Convention, by law, is to be
composed of the same number Of men,
hers that now compose the Legislature,
and are to be paid at the same rate per
d'cm; and that all the Incidental charges
Of the Convention will be necessarily
less than those Of the Legislature, as it
will be bu. one body. The annual av.
cragc cost of a session of the L'gisla.
ture is about S2l 900, and we asccr-
tain that if the session of :hc Convcn-
ton should be protractcd beyond the
time allowed to the Legislature, which
is not likely to occur, so MS to swell
the charges to 5000, a tax for one
year Of Two AND ONE HALF CENrs on
every 800 of property, or TWENTY.
FtyE Gents on crc,y One Thousand
Dollars 'of Property, would serve to
pny the entire expenses CT the CohVen-
ton We need not point out to you
that your natural aud proper incentive
to reform your Government lljustify
you in making this paltry expenditure,
aud especially SO, when you may well
consider it a profitable investment, &c.
complishing, rs it will, such a reduc-
ton in your State and County expenl.
lures.
We indulge the hope that on the
Fourth Thursday of the present month
you will, impressed with sense of du-
ty to yourselves and to postcrity, aud
disregarding the artful arguments and
seductive appliances Of the Radical
party, be found in the performance Of
that duty We confidently believe your
convictions will require at your hands