The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-08-04
INTERNAL IMPROvEHENTs AND
PUnalC SCHOOLS.

Judge G, D. CAMDEN, Of Harrison
county, having been referred to BY
name a. one OF the large landowners
who are determined, under all circum.
stances TO repeal that provision Of our
present Constitution which prohibits
the contraction of State debt for in
ternal improvements, we are authorized
by him to give the assertion . complete
denial. Mr.. CAMDEN is warmly in favor
of q Convention for the same reasons
that influence Conservative men all
over the State, but has no internal I'M
provement nscheme to press upon the
people. In, fact, 90 far as we hav" OBJ
served, neither Mr.. CArERroN nor Mr..
BENNETT, nor any other Of the gentle
men who have been declared by the
Radicals to have this matter so much
at heart, have, uttered word that could
be construed into such q bugbear as the
Radicals have,set up? Mr.. WILLIAM E.
ARNOLD, of Weston, seems to stand
alone among the friends OF a Conven-
ton in favor of the internal improve
ment scheme, and we are informed that
even in Lewis county proposition to
give the Legislature power to create a
public debt for that purpose would fail
to receive the sanction. of the voters
The Radical argument against Con
rention based upon this ground is a
very weak one indeed.
In the year 1850 Judge CAMDEN was
candidate for the Constitutional Con-
vention of Virginia. We have before
u. a circular which he issued over his
own name to the citizens Of the district
then composed Of the counties OF bod
bridge Harrison, Tyler, Richie, Wood
and Wetzel. In that circular he made
use of the following language in rela-
ton to internal Improvements:
"Our rapid increase in numbers and
wealth, in a short time, will make us
heavy taxpaying portion Of the State,
and l suggest whether the time has not
arrived, in order to save the credit OF
the State, and prevent the creation OF a
heavy State debt, that some constltu-
tional provision should be made, to
prevent those mammoth appropriations
by the Legislature, unless approved by
a vote of the people. | am. OF the opln.
ion that some judicious provision should
be made for the uniform granting OF
charters Of companies for Improvements
aud other purposes; so that these priv
leges may be extended to all sections
alike, and not withheld from some
regions and granted to others, as inter
ested or selfish considerations may
prompt. We have had in our own Sec
ton, striking example OF this injustice,
in the refusal of the Legislature to per-
NIT the people to improve their section
Jy their o'cn means
Thus as early as 1850 Judge CAMDEN
took ground against the very scheme
which it is now asserted he and others
are determined to force upon the people
as the penalty of holding Convention
to remodel the Constitution of the State.
Being called upon to address the people
of Richie county at Harrisville last
Tuesday, Judge CAMDEN referred to the
manner in which he had been misrepre-
scented by Radical speakers and the Rad
ical press; reminded his hearers Of the
position he took as their representative
in 1850. and declared that his opinions
in relation to these matters were I'M
changed. The idea that any danger
exists that the constitutional limitation
upon the power Of the Legislature in
this respect will be abolished by the
Convention has been appropriately pro-
nounced "mere stuff and nonsense; and
the Radicals may at once calm their
troubled minds and soothe their ruffied
spirits on that score. ....'
This old circular issued 10y Judge
CAMDEN in 1850 touches upon another
subject which it may not be inappropri-
ate to mention here. Men Of his class
have been generally referred to as op
posed to the system Of public instruction,
and some of the opponents of the pro-
posed Constitutional Convention have
ieigned fever Of alarm lest the Con-
vention should abolish the public
schools. Yet this circular shows that,
at that early day, when the public school
system was still in its infancy even in
those States that first adopted it, Judge
CAMDEN pronounced in favor Of its in
corporation into the Constitution Of
Virginia. Upon this point he said;
81 regard the education OF all the people
so important to the perpetuation of our
free institutions, and the correct and
proper exercise of their sovereign pow
er, that q provision should be engraited
in the Constitution, requiring the Legis-
lature to provide system Of common
schools for the education Of all the
children Of the State"
Subsequently, as member Of the
Convention of 1850, he Offered reso-
luton embodying the idea expressed
above and strongly urged it by q speech
| he fore that hody II Wa a hold and