The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1880-02-21
THE CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS.


mittee of this State, when in. enum-
Grating the candidates to be voted
for next fall it did not name the
Constitutional amendments, and
charges that it was omitted from that
party address through cowardice.
Will the Post never learn that dis
erection is the better part of valor?
Will it never learn the virtue OF con-
sistency2
1t intimates that the Republican
party of this State is in favor Of said
amendments, and yet, if it can be
credited with sincerity in anything,
and believed to be not entirely de-
mented, it must know that for it to
favor said amendments as party,
and to make it a party issue, is the
surest possible way to defeat the
amendments. Will the Post then
tell us in plain and unambiguous
words, whether it and its party, in
fact, favor or oppose said amend
ments? and then we might guess the
result with considerable certainty.
The truth is, and the Democracy
of this State believe, that said con-
stitutional amendments ought not to
be made a party issue in the coming
election: but that they ought to be
considered by all, with that same
candor and impartiality and fairness
from partizan prejudice, as Judge
would consider the law, or jury the
facts of case before them for decis-
ion. This idea, to make or unmake
constitutional provisions for partizan
ends or purposes, 10 one of the dam
ming sins of the age. There are
good and wise men in both parties in
this State who are in favor of said
amendments, and others, equally
good and wise, who are opposed to
them-and like many other questions
of the kind, we hesitate not to say,
that in our judgment good and solid
reasons can be assigned on both
sides.
The main argument in .1aror of
them, so far as we have heard,is that
it is an abSurdtty to submit questions
of lar to men wholly unlearned in
the law; and it does look so. And
in making that argument we seem to
forget that our jury system is amen
able to that same objection in ten
fold degree. And yet, no effort is
made to get shut of it. Justices are
furnished with the statutes, and dur
ing their official term, or terms, must
learn some lac. JuTies, or rather
any one juryman, may be called on
to act once in two, three or four
years, and wholly without legal
learning, they in cases involving
life and liberty, are the sole judges
of both law and fact. While if the
jury errs in verdict of acquittal in
a criminal case, no Court under
heaven has the power to correct it;
while in most cases, if the County
Court errs, it may be reversed OF
corrected by an appellate Court.
Others again, argue that these
amendments adopted, and it will an
crease our tares, and greatly inq0ase
our common burden. While others,
equally intelligent and honest, deny
this, and think it will diminish our
taxes. And others seem to argue
that the question of cost.of the two
systems is unworthy of consideration,
but that the true question is: Which
is the better system?
Others argue that the lowest priced
article is not always the cheapest,
which would seem to. be sound ar
gument, and yet equally sound to
say that the one of tive or more ar
ticles, of equal merit or value, that
can be bought forrest, is the cheapest
Others argue, and with plausibility,
that if the amendments are defeated
we but proceed as We now are, seeking
our remedy in the election of bette,
men for justices-while if they are
adopted we are taxed with the salar
les and mileage of five additional
Judges, offices that can alone be-
filed by lawyers, and for which boor
to the legal fraternity, it is supposed
the lawyers will nearly all vote fol
them. We will also get rid of The
one County Court for each county
and in lieu thereof, will have as many
one-horse or "shovel-plough" County
, Courts in each county, as there ar
Magisterial Districts in the county
that may sit perpetuolly, instead o
once eueru three months, as now-th