New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-08-24

EpFrNpRTrR. w. va, aug ~
returns for this county have rot We. Deen 80, 90
-, a. co,utiuc the returns, and are eApectou
e, .hr,ugb in the morning. Unofficial returns give
oori,v an Greenbrer County OF 500 Tor the COhsi'u
,lon and about 800 for Camden Omcial returns returns I'm
Monroe County give Camden and the CONSTITUTION NV
.,o,tv Democratic gain Of 90 over the last vote'
Sy.,,,o W V Arg 2s-scattering returns from
,.oopnes show large gain the vote OF two years
90 an favor of Jacob the Independent Democratic can
ddate for Governor aud Indicate bis pooaOe
with fair chance that Constitution Is deteateu
THE POLITICAL, SITUATION REVIEWED.
rANaIE OF pARTns-THE ELECTION NOT A
TEST OF LIBERAL sIRENGrH-PkOSFEOi' iN
THE CONGRESS DISTRICT.
rFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THh IAiDO'n.
GRAFToY, w. VA, Aug. 19.-The politics Oh
this state are almost invariably misapprehenueu W e"0
newspapers and politicians Of other parts OF lhe 0o
try and 10 tell the TRUTH are not UNDERSTOOD W '
in tine State itself. Everybody OF every ParV "ol
osrees on one pont--that things are badly hlAeu'
polticay I'm West Virginia. Tho general mlsappIono"
sion Of the condition Of affairs here may nave sone ~
deucy 10 produce improper tnterpretsuonsoi '"o 80
tng NJ the result OF the election upon 'ne Aiosf
de,iol contest and especially upon the November NOVe
~ fhis State 1t seems therefore, worth whhe 10
attempt 10 state the local issues upon which the peope
arc divided and the influences which theSe ISSUES anu
tho vorops possble decisions OF them may have upon
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that these issues are strictly local in their character
and are connected with national politics only Incl
dentay. e..
Four years ago in October this State gave Gov Steven
son Repubhcan) majority OF All ana III No'o"O0i
gave Grant majority Of sn9.
THE REPUBLICANS DIVIDED UPON AMNESTY
In those elections none who had participated IN tne
Rebeop were permitted by the Constitution to vote OF
did in fact vote The next year prominent kePuocauS
IN deront parts Of the State publicly advocated tne re-
,noya OF the disabilities which rested upon lOrmer
e but the bulk Of the party still resisted this liberal
policy the former being known as Let ups" ana BIZ
ter EnderV In the Legislature Of 1870 the Senate was
strongly Bitter Ender" aud in the House OF Delegates
the Bitter Enders and Democrats were about equa III
strengh the balance Of power being held by some nan
dozen Lot up" Republicans. This Legislature now
ever repealed the statutes fOrbiddng Rebels to sue
praetice law or teach common schools, and agreen 10
s,hmit 70 the people an amendment to the Constitution
Known as the Flick amendment the effect OF winch
would be 20 give the right Of suffrage to Doth heDeS
and black men, but refused 10 fepeal ot
amend the registration law OF WHICH, anu
tho manner Of its administration, the Demo
rat csnocIally complained In the vote of this
Legislature on the Flick amendment each Of the main
narties was divided, Democrats and Republicans
voting for it, aud some of each against 1t. The Demo
orats who opposed it did because 1t gave suffrage 10
the black man. Some OF the Republicans who opposed
IL dd so because they unwilling to give suffrage TO
the rebel aud some because they unwilling TO give
Il either 20 the rebel the black The next Logs
ature Of which the House was strongly Democratic ana
the Senate about equally divided, also adopted the
amendment and the Constitution requires submitted
IL 20 the people, by whom it was adopted in 1911 Inc
last preceding Republican State Convention had, as
COMPROMISE declared that members of the party did not
cease to be such by voting either for or against tue
amendment.
Tho Democratic majority in the Legislature OF 1871,
also passed bill submitting 10 the people the question
ConVantiOn. which
decided in the affirmative by vote of about $4,000 TO
2sOOO though the Republicans unanimously resisted IT,
and were supported in that action by considerable
number Of Democrats OF 70 members of the Conven'
ton only Republicans. The Convention sat last
Winter and drafted Constitution upon which the popu-
lar vote will have been taken by the time this reaches
you This Constitution is approved by almost every
Republican, while Democrats are not unanimous In It's
support But the Democratic opposition TO the Constr
tuition Is not by any identical with the Democratic
opposition 10 the call for the Convention, many who
opposed the one favorng the other, and vice versa
The provisions the proposed Constitution 10 which
most objection made those securing to debtors
homestead TO the value of O and personal property
70 the of S20 and establ ishing County Court
system closely resembling the Gntel betlum County
Court system Of Virginia, thus destroying the present
County organization which lie modelled after that Of
New-YOrk But by far the largest number of votes on
the adoption Of the Constitution, will be cast from par
tisan motives Democrats voting for the Constitution,
and Republicans againstit.
OPPOSITION TO NEGRO SUFFRAGE.
There was a large element in the Constitutional
Convention which were opposed TO allowing negroes
60 hold office and threatened TO oppose the Constitu
ton unless the restriction they desired inserted
The matter was compromised by submitting indie
pendent section the clause desired by the BourbOns con-
tanning the magic word white" which is to be cOnsd
cred part of the Constitution If it receives majority
of the votes cast upon the question Of adopting the Con-
sitution Thus every voter whose ballot nothing
about this clause, is counted against 1t.
The schedule Of the Constitution provides that the
election on It's adoption shall be held the 22d day Of
August and that that day shall be elected TO
I'll The offices provided for by that instrument. If the
Constitution ratified it to be considered in force
on and after the day Of election persons chosen
TO be indicted into Office In that event the election
fixed by present Constitution for the fourth Thursday
of October, viii not be held at least for
State officers. The adoption OF the Constitu
ton will short the terms of the present judges
sberifs and clerks. The present statute prscribes
that Congressman shall be elected at the general cleo
ton for State officers which elsewhere appointed for
the fourth Thursday Of October Some contend that
this August election, being general election Congress
men are be then chosen although the proposed new
Constitution says nothing about them The opinion of
most lawyers that the time to elect Congress
men is on the fourth Thursday Of October In at least
two Of the three districts candidates will DO generally
voted for the August elections but the validity of
their election then win not depend the fate OF the
Constitution and they will, in any event, again in
October The for their running at the August
election is that there sufficient doubt about the
matte. 10 make each side think the other may in
man. and Hnd House Of Representatives compliant
enough 10 give him a seat.
The Democratic State Convention nominated johnson
N. Camden for Governor. John j. Jacob, the Present
Democratic Governor, desired denomination; but was
quiet and indecsve and made little effort to secure
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