The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-11-16
Constitutional Amen dments.

/ The adoption of the Constitutional Amend
ments By the people of Virginia, is one of
| the most fatal blows ever struck at their
rights. II they are not pronounced null and
void by the Supreme Court OF the United
States. as We believe they will be, when
brought to judicial scrutiny. the people will
have inflicted upon themselves burdens and
expressions that will keep away all immigra-
ton. and drive from the State one-half Of its
population. It is the revival of fcudalism;
the proping up OF a decayed aristocracy; the
enslavement of the masses to the despotism
of the designing and selfish few. The la.
boring man now has tile road law as one OF
the results OF not approaching and weighing
his vote. lie will, IN 4 short time, find that
worse results will follow the present amend-
mcnts. The Free Schools will be taken
away from him, and he will be powerless to
resist. He will have no voice III the matter
Under these amendments the Legislature may
act independent OF the people, and adopt any
further alterations of the Constitution, with
out asking test at the ballot-box. The first
thing that will be done under them will be
to abolish the Free School system, as certain
as effect follows cause -.-..,.- 81.
1t is disheartening to contemplate the sit
uation, and the Indifference of the people to
their own welfare and that of the rising gen.
Grafton. We have laborcd earnestly to arouse
them TO the great wrong involved in the
amendments, but party passion has proven
stronger than moral or intellectual forces
The designing and INSCRIPTIONS men who
coneocted these amendments an d selected the
time to submit them, knew what they were
doing. Upon their merits, they would new
er have been endorsed by the people. But
in the heat and passion of Presidential con-
test, the vital questions involved to the labor
ing man, would be lost sight Of and the
amendments adopted They rcckoned well
and correctly.
Practically the election Of either Hayes or
Tilden does not directly affect he people of
Virginia. The relation to Presidential issues
is general, and which ever may be declared
successful, twelve months hence the individ-
ual will not feel the difference. The adop-
ton OF the amendments comes home to every
poor man, just as the road law does. They
will feel the evils they have invited and will
have no one to blame but themselves. They
have allowed themselves to be deluded by
the appeals of political demagogues, and
now they will reap the result, il the Courts
do not intervene to protect them,
1t was in no partizan sense that we OPP
posed them. We saw in them a direct as
sault upon the rights of the laboring classes
of community. We recognized in them a
great wrong to the great mass of the peo-
pie, and incalculable harm to the State. We
did what we could to arouse the people to the
Importance of voting them down. They dis |
regarded our appeals. We discharged our
duty, They will have to endure the conse-
luencc of their own fatal thonghtlessness.
We do not believe that Gov. Hayes would |
accept the office of President, if he was not |
convinced that he was fairly elected. How
would it be with Gov. Ti!den9