Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-24
By the People.
ODanville Registe.D

tDduNille ieSiste.rD
Mr.. w. o. Hardaway. OF the Roanoke
Bar, writes 10 the Evening World Of that
city favOring a convention to revise and
amend our patched-up State Constitution.
Among other changes he recommends ~
that the judges and the Capitol officers be
elected by the people. instead of by the
two houses OF the General Assembly. as
at present And the Danvlle Register IS
OF the opinion that Mr. Hardaway's view
IL the correct one. Mr.. Hardaway says
that the people of North Carolina elect
their judges. and that the system works
very well there. Yes. and In Virginia,
under the ante-bellum Constitution, we
elected our judges by popular vote. Some
OF the very best judges that Virginia
ever had were so elected The first judge
Of the Hastings Court OF Richmond, the
Hon. William II. Lyons, great and good
Judge, was called to office by the votes
Of his felow-citiZens OF Richmond
But we should say that it would de-
pend very much upon what Improvement
can be made in the suffrage article OF
our Constitution whether the changes
urged by Mr.. Hardaway ought to be
adopted. The proposition, we know Is
taking" one, but We must always re-
member that there are numerous coun-
ties II. the Commonwealth where the col
ored vote predominates and which usually
falls into the control CT irresponsible and
Objectionable people. The first thing 10
be disposed OF in this connection is the
suffrage questions. II we assure 10 the
intelligent and trustworthy masses OF Nir-
ginia the control OF each county and city,
we can then inaugurate reforms which
cannot be entertained now. We would
have the condition OF SOuthside and Tide
water Virginia bettered. not made more
intolerable than II Is now.-Richmond Dis
patch.
When the Register started the asita-
ton, more than a year ago, In FAVOR oi
a constitutional convention, 1t named as
one OF the reforms demanded a complete
change of the judiciary system We then
pointed out the many advantages OF the
North Carolina system, and then' as now
advocated its adoption. North Carohha
has no county courts, and, or course. no
county judges. but superior or circuit
judges. and they are elected by the peo-
pie. As these judges rotate. and each
Judge. during his term, will be called
upon to preside I'm every county In the
State. he Is elected by the people OF the
whole State.
In other words, the parties in each dis-
trict nominate their choice for judge. Tue
names OF the nominees so upon the S'd'e
ticket. and they are voted for at every
precinct in the State. II the state goes
Democratic, as Il has been doing ior
many years, until last year and' by .he
way, that was not the year Tor eiectihs
Superior Court judges, then all the JUICES
In the State, those from black dlstricls
included. are Democrats.
We regard a constitutional convention
in Virginia as one OF the certalntles Oh
the near future. The sentiment III tasoi
OF II has been growing ever since. % lne
Register commenced the agitation heaIls
two years ago. and. as the Dispatcn saSS'
the first problem II will be cailed upon
to solve will be the suffrage question put
this question OF change In the Juoleia'y
system can be considered and settled ior
the better without any reference To ths
other very important question.
In the first place. let US aooiish tne
| county-court system. Then enlarge ,he
powers OF the county-court clerks am
the boards OF supervisors. to the emu Una.
ALI chancery and hduciary business may
be disposed Of by the former. ana ah
county business affairs by the latter,
Then have the circuit judges kept ouss
holding their quarterly courts IN the
counties to consider jury cases.
In short. let us adopt the Nortn Cato.
lima system as a whole. In that state !.
has proved 10 be weli-nigh perfect, and
the black counties and OPAQUE distric's
| have shared equally In its dressings