The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-02-17

For the VALLEY vInGINTAN
The one Supreme Republican Issue
Next Fall
1t is manifest, our party is threatened with
serious divisions as to the course it should
pursue in the fall elections. Amid the discus
/ sions of the State debt, there need be some APP
! preheEsion least we should overlook a para
mount question to be decided at the polls at
that time. have no fear it can be disregard
! ed, when properly presented to the voters. 1t
might seem too early at this time to invoke
public attention to it; but when it is recol-
lected how distracted and engrossed the pub
| lie mind is with the policies and pretensions OF
the three parties, into which our people are
distributed, it cannot be amIss or premature
to give due prominence to this question by
inviting as soon as practicable an earnest con-
/ sideration of it and of our party obligations
and relations to it. have reference to
"JoINT RESOLUTIONS OF THE LAST GEN'L
ASSEMBLY
proposing an amendment to the first section,
art 3d. of the Constitution, concerning the
elective franchise" The effect OF this amend
ment is to restore the Constitution as it was
adopted, relieved of the requirement of the
prepayment of the capitation tax. According
ly ait was resolved by the Senate and House
Of Delegates "a majority of the members elect
ed to each of the two houses agreeing thereto,)
that the following amendment be and is here
by proposed to the Constitution of Virginia
and is hereby referred to the General Assem-
bly, to be chosen at the next general election
of senators and members of the House of Del
egates for it's concurrence in conformity with
art twelve of said constitution" Here follows
| "a bp n w
is, as before stated, to strike out the phrase or
qualification and shall haze paul to tile State
before the day Of election the caaoatatsom tao re-
CURED By lao for the preceding year'
To secure the submission ofthis amendment
to the people in their choice of senators and
delegates, it was "2d. Resolved that the clerk
of the House of Delegates or the clerk of
the Senate be required or ifa vacancy happens
in both of said offices, the presiding officer of
either house of the General Assembly, be au-
thorized and requested to cause the proposed
amendments and these resolutions to bepub-
| lished in some newspaper published in the
| City of Richmond for three months previous
| to the time of choosing the members of the
General Assembly at the next general election
of Senators and members of the House. of
| Delegates"
sd Resolved that the clerk of the Senate
and the clerk of the House of Delegates be re-
quired to transmit to the General Assembly
to be chosen at the next general election of
Senators and members of the House of Dele
gates, a certified copy of said amendments and
these resolutions together with certificate
of publication by the publisher Of the news
paper in which the proposed amendments
shall have been published" - Session Acts
1S79-'80, chap. 300, p. 1896.
The necessity for these enactments, and the
result to flow from the next fall election, will
appear from
ART. XII. OF THE CONSTITUTION.
"Any amendment or amendments to the
Constitution may be proposed in the Senate
and House of Delegates and if the same shall
be agreed to by a majority of the members
elected to each Of the two houses, such propos-
ed amendment or amendments shall be enter
| ed on their Journals with the ayes and noes
| taken thereon, and referred to the General As
sembly to be chosen at the next general cleo
| ton OF senators and members of the House Of
| Delegates and shall be published for three
months previous to the time of making such
choice. And If in the General Assembly, SO
| next chosen as aforesaid, such proposed
amendment or amendments shall be agreed to
by a majority of all the members elected to
| each house then it shall be the duty of the
General Assembly to submit such proposed
| amendment or amendments to the people in
| such manner and at such times as the General
Assembly shall prescribe; and if the people
shall approve and ratify such amendment or
amendments by majority of the electors
qualified to vote for members of the Gen1 AS
| sembly voting thereon, such amendment or
amendments shall become part of the Consti-
| tuition"
This amendment therefore, necessarily
| passes before the people at the next fall cleo
| tor. If we fail to secure majority of mem
| bers in each house to agree to this amendment
it Jats, and that as an end Of 1t. If on the con-
| trary, such a majority is secured at the polls,
| then follows the final step-its submission to
| the people, which may be sat such time as the
| GENT assembly shall prescribe" Therefore, [
believe it is in our power to procure the resto
ration of our Constitution to its original form
| in the ensuing year if we avail of the aid that
| is proffered us.
THE GRAVITY OF THIS ISSUE
may be seen and felt by brief statement of
the circumstances under which this change
was made in the State Constitution. That
Constitution was adopted July, 1869, underan
act of Congress providing for its submission,
approved April 10, 1S69,-Stats. at Large, vol.
Is, p. 40. Afterwards Jan. 26, 1870, Congress,
| recognizing and declaring that Constitution to
be ''Tept6hca,a,' readmitted the State to repre-
| sentation in Congress as one of the States of
the Union, 'up0sa the .to1loao5ng Fundamental
condataons:
| First, That the Constitution of Virginia shall
| never be so amended or changed, as to de-
| prive any citizen or class of citizens Of the
| United States of the right to VOTE who are in
| titled to vote by the Constitution herein rec
ognized, except as punishment for such
| crimes as are now felonies at common law,
| whereof they shall have been duly convicted
under laws equally applicable to all the inhab-
| itants of said State; Pt0ode0 that any altera-
| ton of said Constitution, prospective in its
| effects, may be made in regard 10 the time and
| place of residence of voters. iSec071d That it
| shall never be lawful for the said State to de-
prive any citizen OF the United States, on ac-
| count of his race, color or previous condition
of servitude, of the right to hold office under
| the Constitution and laws of said State or up
on any such ground to require of him any
other qualifications for office than such as are
required of all other citizens. THIRD, That the
Constitution OF Virginia shall never be so
amended or changed as to deprive any citizen
or class of citizens of the United States of the
school rights and privileges secured by the
Constitution of said State" Stats. at Large,
vol 16, p. 62.
Under this act the State was rehabilitatedas
a member of the Union, secured all the benefits
accruing theretrom; and is now legally and
morally estopped from disputing the validity
and enforcement of the conditions thus attached
to her readmssion. She cannot take the priv
iliges, and escape the burthens of this act. If
she contemns and discards the latter, she must
be ready to accept the forfeiture whenever
| required, of the former. These conditions
are not mere "brutuaa fulnaen;" if violated,
the same power that prescribed them, can en-
| force them by Withdrawing the grant confer
| red in virtue of them. That the question has
| not yet been raised, IS not due to any mistrust
OF the relief to be sought of Congress for this
| fragrant defiance of its laws but rather to the
| futllity of an appeal to the two Houses, that
have fallen to to the declared enemies of the
measures of reconstruction. But that posture
of parties is soon to be changed. The party
complexion of the lower House is already
changed and in a short time, the Senate will
surely undergo the same shifting ofmajorities.
The public will is Enthusiastically decreeing
this change of representation in Congress by
way of asserting and indicating the condi-
tons of reconstruction against the denias and
abridgments of the electoral franchise in the
States of the South. 1t is, therefore, of the ut
most Importance that the Republicans of this
State should take care that nc insensibility on