The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-16
A CONFESSJON AT LAST.

~
The Dispatch yesterday copied from Inc
Blackstone Courier the following article,
headlines and all:
The Richmond Dispa Itch and Constitu-
tional Convention The Dispatch occu-
pies the plane of genuine statesmansh'p
and tells the simple truth when II says
If the Walton law must go, constitution
al amendment IL the only alternative.
1t Is well known that the representative
men of Southside Virginia in the last Gen
cTal Assembly favored a convention TO
revise the Constitution. in preference TO
any legislative action that they thought
obtainable IT was thought the convention
bill would have passed the Senate, IN
general opinion the more conservative
branch of the Legislature, had it not
met an ill-advlsed death in the House o:
Delegates So it was only when the call
of convention had been doomed. that
the Southside people, who have been de-
cried ar the champions and beneiiciarles
of Nthe new election law, consented to
have the Legislature deal with the suf-
frage question In the best practical way.
Every rejecting man knows that IN the
free school system the State has provided
ready antidote to all the wholesome
4 medicines prescribed in the Walton law.
and that In the course of twenty years
that law will have no practical effect as
restrictive measure. SO il is but the
question Of few years, at least. when
the State must be compelled Ia deal with
the question OF suffrage in its organic
law When political contingencies are
evident, and a crisis Inevitable, there
Is small wisdom IN refusing TO deal with
questions that In the very nature of
things must rise for settlement, and
which. until settled. ~ forever disturb
the tranquility of the people.
In this connection IL seems TO us that
the career and influence OF Henry Clay.
albeit brilliant an patriotic In his day,
was the most sinister in the history Of
American politics. His various compro-
misses were but efforts to POSTPONE an
''irrepresslhle conflict" and to put off Tor
his children 10 fight great war. which
had better have come in 1920 or I'm lSiU-
better for the American people that the
conflict would have been less enormous;
a thousand times better for the Confcd-
eracy. which would have achieved its
independence beyond doubt when nissOu-
souri, was refused admttance 10 the
Union.
1t has been suggested in some hish
quarters that should a convention assem-
BILE Virginia could not afford to adopt the
policy OF the Guif States and foist upon
ITS people a mississippi Constitution"
II IS no reprOach TO The wisdom ana
courage Of those Commonwealth that
they have purchased domestic peace at
the expense OF sentimental conservatism
and by sacrifice of the time-serving dem
agogue. who would prattIc and babble
about popular rights When a people
struggle for their political life and their
very civilization, II matters not whether
the aid comes from a Mississippi Consti-
tuition from the rCpressive code which
scared New England in days gone by.
~ rlcnaced by universal suffrage as was
ever Louisiana or Mississippi. The evil
- The same; the remedy ought TO be as
Ncroic. and IL must come.
The Courier contributed elaborate dts
cussion to this subject long before the
Iress of Virginia took serious notice OF
T. and the Dispatch did us the honor TO
reproduce some of those opinions IN Its
columns. But whether first or last, II
we can say aught that will tend TO
arouse the mtra-conseryatiVe Virginia
pcople TO action on this most important
question. We should esteem ourselves
happy In having done old Virginia "a real
service The time has come when pa
thence ceases TO be a virtue" we must
net promptly and courageonsly. Black
stonc Courier.
The Dispatch did not add a word of
disapproval TO this article. so that we
must conclude that the Dispatch is salts
fled with its statements of fact and the
action recommended. Though its meaning
is little disguised, the article plainly
intends TO state as matter of fact that
the Walton law was adopted because the
Legislature believed IL would result IN dis
franchising the negroes, and that the
members Of the Legislature from South
side Virginia were reluctantly prevailed
Oh 10 accept that law as a substitute for
convention. by arguments that 1t would
sufficiently disf.anchise the negroes for
all practical purposes, though they
thought convention and the MISSISSIPPI
vi plan was the thing that they really
wanted. and the necessities OF the State
will still bring about a convention that
there may be radical disfranchisement
OF the negro through the Mississippi
plan"
These statements are yelled, II is true,
but by veil so thin and gossamer-like
that the dulisst intellectual vision can
penetrate II without effort We don't sup
pose any man who would say: Every
rejecting man knows that In the free
school system the State has provided a
ready antidote 10 all the wholesome med
:Ones prescribed In the Walton law. and
that In the course OF twenty years that