The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1890-06-07
[From Judge Calhoon's Letter.l

Now, If am right that the suffrage
question is the main one, and that
without II, no convention should have
been, or would have been called, it is
quite important that delegates should
be left untrammeled to consider freely
any and all suggestions of relief which
may be offered. | am committed to
no plan; | see grave objections to all
that have been made; l should be un-
fit to serve you if 1 permitted any plan
Of my own to get me into the "pro-
found stagnation Of a fixed opinion
J should go to the convention to de-
liberate and formulate opinions on
discussion, and should want TO be un-
fettered in all directions In order to
serve the people with any efficiency.
1t is very unusual to instruct dele
gates TO Constitutional Conventions, if
indeed 1t has ever happened before.
SHOULD every county instruct, and the
instructions happen to conflict, all ac-
tion would be paralyzed.
Should go to the Convention |
should scrupulously obey instructions,
but this would shut me out from the
consideration of very wide field, and
l cannot consent to this, wherefore
candor and frankness require me to
decline to represent you under instruc-
tions, Notwithstanding the very high
estimate place upon the distinguished
honor you have done me.
AS citizen permit me to call sharp
ly to your attention the following one
of the Fundamental conditions upon
which this State was admitted into
the Union, under the Constitution
adopted in 1869, under which consti-
tuition we now live; "t'irst, that the
Constitution of Mississippi 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 entitled to vote by the
constitution herein recognized, except
as punishment for such crimes as are
now felonies at common law, whereof
they shall have been duly convicted
under the laws equally applicable to
all the inhabitants of said State"
Now section 1907 the Bill of Rights
of that same constitution provides that
"no property or educational qualifica-
tion shall ever be required for any
person to become an elector."
These quotations make manifest the
difficulties which will confront tho
convention, and they are not dimin-
ished by the opinion of lawyers that
the fundamental conditions are them
selves unconstitutional. The difficult
ties are increased by the knowledge
that a Republican partisan Congress
is bound by no constitutional require
ments, but glories in repudiating open
ly any of them which might interfere
with party ascendancy.
II may be that anything a conven-
tion could do would be unavailing,
and, with the views ! entertain of the
vital necessity of accomplishing the
maiu object of the convention by any
legitimate means, | should be unwilling
to sit in it hampcrcd in any way ON
any side of any question.
This would be, doubtless, unwise in
a politician, but, am sure, il is wise
and proper in one not an aspirant to
political place, and who, regardless of
self, wants only the good of the people
of whom he is one in sympathy aud in
every personal interest.
This is done upon mature delibera-
tion, with diflidence in view of your
having instructed, and with full recog-
milton Of your right to instruct, aud
yet upon conviction that ought not
to serve under instructions with my
present views Of The situation.
! favor sending delegates uninstruc-
ted unless simply to submit their final
action to the ratification of the people.
This the Convention should certainly
do. Very Respectfully,
S. s. CALHooN.