The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1871-08-24
LETTER FROM GOVERNOR JACOB
A SOUND DOCUMENT.
Free Schools Must Be Preserved,

lrIou '"0 "cSt NliS'u" Suut'ei'l
A number Of gentlemen having address,
ed letter to Gov Jacob, asking on OK
preston ofhis views upon the Convention
question. replied in the following fOrcible
and logical manner.
CHARLESTON, August l2, 1871,
Kesms. W. A. Quarter, W. H. Hoge-
man, and others
GENrLEME&-G have received your let
ter Of the 7th inst, in which you do me
the honor to request mo to give express.
ion to my views on the subject Of the call
for a Constitutional Convention.
Owing to the official duties imposed up
on me in connection with tho approaching
election and the returns Of the same, |
have thought it proper not to take any ac.
tive part iu tho present canvass. But |
have no hesitation in saying that | favor
the call for Convention, aud | will brief.
ly state my reasons.
Our Constitution has failed to givo com.
plcte protection to some Of tho fuudamcn.
tai rights Of the citizen. Under novel and
oppressive modes Of proceeding Tho ballot
was denied to many citizens And not
only was there no means of redress for the
wrongs thus inflicted, afforded by ordinary
legislation, but the Constitution itself was
painfully silent on the subject. The courts
were closed to large class Of our citizens,
aud they appealed in vain to the Conslitu.
ton. Harsh and unwiso laws prevented
many persons from the pursuit Of their or
dinary vocations. We want no more test
oaths for voters, sutors, lawyers, aud
ers, and il it can be, we wish to forget
that we ever had boards Of registration
with their pleuary powers for mischief
Let our Bill Of Rights bo so amended as
prevent the possibility Of this species Of
Legislation.
The county aud township systems seem
neither to suit the tastes nor to meet tho
wants Of our people. 1t was the policy Of
old Virginia to sub.diyide hor territory in.
to small counties. This was done before
tho township system was introduced, and
when all local county matters were mana.
ged and controlled by the county courts
Iftownships had originally been part Of
the Virginia system Of government, it is
most natural to suppose that sho would
have had much smaller number Of coun-
ties. Pennsylvania with q township sys
tenn, large territory aud dense population,
has but sixty.six counties. Massachusetts,
has but thirteen, while West Virginia with
her comparatively small territory, and
sparse population has ffty.four. The cx-
pertinent Of borrowing this township sys-
TEN from other States having large couu-
ties and heavy population, and Of ingraf.
ing it into our form Of government, has not
been productive of good results, and We
can discard it with manifest benefit to all
public interests. From the fact that most
Of our counties are small and with light
population, one body Of men can readily
manage all their affairs. A number Of Of
6cers can thus be dispensed With, which is
in itself great advantage, and We can
thus secure, perhaps, q greater advantage,
the undivided responsibility Of a single
body Of men touching all local affairs.
While there are doubtless other points
in which the Constitution can be materially
improved, the foregoing arc the main rca-
sons that induce me to support The call of
Convention.
To prevent any misapprehcnsion, it is
proper to say that | consider tho present
provision 10 our constitution that prohibits
the legislature from granting the credit Of
the State to works Of internal improvement,
wise one, and should very much regret
to see it stricken out. Permit me also to
say that | favor an efficient, and as far as
may be, an economical system Of public
instruction, aud any Constitution that does
not provide for tho establishment Of free
schools will meet with little favor from the
people.
There is now as little bitterness in par.
tisan feeling and struggles as is likely to
exist at any time iu the future. The pres
ent therefore seems to be a Ct time 10
which to examine, weigh and decide upon
the forms aud principles which are to con-
stitpte tbc h, an of our Stato oovernmcnt