Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1880-11-02
Spirit Of Jttterson.
chsrleStown, Jefferson County, West Va.
TUESDAY MORNING. NoYEusER 2, 1880.
TEE CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND
MENTS,
From the wheeli,e Peoiste,1

us through the paper as to what you know
about Its adoption or rejection.
Yours truly,
West Union, October 90, 1880.
There is no doubt about the adoption Of
both the amendments, by considerable ma>
~jorities, although the returns of the vote
upon them are yes incomplete.
When we use the word "adoption," ye
mean simply to say that the people of the
State are responsible for depssitipg more
ballots upon which the words s'For R1tifes-
words For Rejection"
We don't mean to say that they have
'sadepted" them in the sense of approving.
commencing, and iutellisently endorsing
their spirit and purpose. We believe rather,
that it was u mere mechanical endorsement
of the printer who set up the type and priut>
ed the words which saved the voter any
trouble of determining what should and
should not be Put upon his ticket.
The law prescribed that If he was in favor
OF the amendments, he should put upon his
ticket the words 'For Ratifcatien,' and if
hs was opposed to it he should put upon his
ticket the words For Rejection."
But the voter did not know anything
about the law. It was not published in con-
~aection with the Cons ~t;tution. and not one
voter in a thousand ever read or heard any
thing about it.
Some of the tickots-io fact. all of the
Republican tickets contained only the
words "For Ratification" If the voter
wanted to vote against ratification, he did not
know what to write, and tn ere was no room
CD the ticket to write anything.
Moreover, ret one in a hundred knew
meut, and he did not care. Thu excitement
aud rivalry which personal and political con-
tests brought to tha polls SO absorbed the at
~tentien of voters that all else vac forgotten,
and t?.ere has not been enough interest in
the result upon the amendments to induce
parties to send in the returns.
we have regarded these amendments Of
vital Importance to the people of this State.
Tho Heytster ondeaVorcd to impress this fact
upon the minds of the people. We were
anxious that, whether adopted or rejsetsd,
the result should be a fair expression of the
will of the people.
We do not believe that the result does
show any intelligent expression of the will
Of the people. We believe that it is no more
than q mere mechanical endorsement. This
fact was ahundantly demonstrated in Wood
county, where only the words "For Ra,ifca>
ton were printed on all tickets, beth Demo>
cratic and RePublicsn, and in which county
neHrly sill the votes were 'Fer Ratification"
The future may prove that the people are
satisfied with what shey have done. 1t may
prove that they are not. We have only now
to mako she bast of it. We shall be sorry
if tho people of the State put themselves in
the attitude of endorsing a measure of SO
much Importance when it is not what they
wish. We will be sorry to hear another
vail ge up over our judicial system, similar
10 that over the county courts.
We do net profess to know what the peo-
Pic want in this connection. We enIy hone
they have it. But in aay event we hope
never to see the farce enacted of submitting
suCh a proposition to the people, 10 the midst
of a wild political excitement. And we
hope further thst the people will have the
patience to wait until the complications the
almost inextricsble difficulties which the
ratification of these amendments bring upcn
US, shall ono by oEe be solved by the slow.
aud tortuous course of years of distraction
and arrangement.