The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-07-17
THE NEW coNsr1TpTloN.

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nature OF man 10 overrate present evils,
and to underrate present good; to long for
that he has not, and to be dissatisfied with
what he has" And this language Is as
appropriately applied to tho times In
which we live as to those Of 200 years
ago;
ent Constitution but seven years when the
FESTIVE spirit Of few ambitious leaders
demanded that we should have q change.
A doubtful majority Of the Legislature
IN 1870 passed the required act; which by
default was endorsed at the polls In 1871
by q very mesgre vote. And delegates
assembled in January 1872 at Charleston
10 make q new Constitution which was TO
give the people q cheap government; free
them from all political disabilities; re.
move all proscriptive features; and pro.
vide for the rapid growth Of our State In
population and wealth.
Has that Convention redeemed the
pledges Of politicians that VIC should
have a better and cheaper government.
Ihaye no time TO discuss It's features,
nor have the people the patience to read
long articles upon the subject so shall
be brief.
1st. The Constitution Is too voluminous
and therefore will not be studied by the
people, as fundamental law should be
studied 70 a correct knowledge OF our
duties as citizens. The Constitution Of
the United States with all the amend.
ments thereto, Tor the government OF this
great nation, covers but twelve pages Of
our Code. The present Constitution Of
West Virginia covers twenty pages, while
the new one, for which we are asked 10
vote, will cover forty pages. In thus
doubling the length Of our Constitution
it Is made TO partake largely OF the ma
ture Of code, and will never except by
the legal profession, be studied and d.
gested, as the great charter Of a State
should be iamiliarized TO the humblesl
individuals.
I'd. 1t will cost much more than under
the present Constitution.
II is true we are TO have biennial SEES
sions Of the Legislature, but the exper
fence Of old Virginia and all the States
that have, made trial of this plan, has
proven that extra and adjourned sessions
have made the cost to equal the yearly
sessions, even If the pay Of the members
were the same. g.
But admitting that with increased rep.
resentation in the Legislature, increased
diem of the members, increased salaries
to State officers and Judges, the expense
will be but the same, so lar as these de.
partmenis go, as under the present con
stitution, the introduction Of county
courts with three additional grand juries
will add each year to the expense Of the
people Of the State from twenty-five .tC
thirty thousand dollars. And all that we
may call them justices, instead OF Super.
Vis0rs
Is it just to ask us to paythls extra sum
yearly to crafty the prejudice Of men
who not having been with us from 1862
up to 1870, have an antipathy TO the name
Supervisor, and who haYe SO carefully
stricken this word as also the word tOUn.
ship, from the new Constitution as limo.
vations from New England.
Mr.. Sinsel has well handled this subject
in an excellent article in your paper Of
the 9th inst.
Sd. 1t contains thepowers to strike out
Of existence the township arrangements
Of the present Constitution, and thus de.
stroy what John Adams, Thos. Jefferson,
James Madison, George Wythe and Pat.
rick Henry, admitted and claimed would
make New England Of Virginia and
her sister Southern States.
Strike out our township meetings and
township arrangements for free schools
centralize the power and consign US ID
the care and direction Of q county court
l care not how honorable and intelligent
that court may be, andyou have manacled
our free school system and handed them
over to. strangers; you have made them
the play of court house rings, which SC
long cursed the political history Of old
Virginia. ~.
The more nearly we can bring the free
schOolto our family, the more we car
make the patrons OF each district feel thai
III is our school" the more life and energy
will it have.
Remove the care and responsibility tc
q county arrangement and half the vital
ity Of the system is gone, and we shall
fail to have profited by the experience Of
States which have been the most success,
iul in this great enterprise.
4th. 1t violates the great principles Of
equal representation.
If there is one right upon which the
American people are sensitive, it is this
one. I -. .,
2 Incidental OF any representation led tc
the revolution OF 1916 and Unequal ap.
porhonment and representation was the
prolific cause OF the heart.burnings and
jealousies between the East and the West
in the old State, from Its foundation down
to 1850. ~
Unequal representation That. one man
shall have moro political power than an.
other! That one district shall have repre-.
sentaion not accorded to the same number
Of citizens in another The assumption Of
the power by the. Convention to parcel
out rights and gerrymander the State fol
political and corrupt purposes
1t is that should make the blood tipgle
in every honest mans veins, and invoke
the Just indignation Of every citizen who
is willing TO do unto others as he would
have Others do unto him.
For more than two generations we De.
titioned and urged repeal Of such injus.
tice in Old Virginia, and at each success.
sive convention 10 amend the constitution
Of thabrState we tor1lng from our eastern
brethren some concessions upon this
great principle; but not until the late re.
bellion left the powcrin the hands of the
west, were these unjust provisions entire
ly removed. 9@
The convention at Wheeling in 1862
which gave US our present constitution,
tose superior TO all these old ideas OF
misuse Of power, and gave US equal tdra.
ton and equal representation.
Even parts ofthe new State, then over.
run by hostile armies and deprived OF any
Representatives, that body, were as fairly
dealt with aa had tho convention hnan