Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-16
ROANOKE MEETING.
The Conference to Consider tho Quss-
tion Of a Constitutional Convention.
.rsrNnss TRANSACTED SPEEDILY.
s,ecche. by Mr.. Hardaway, Mayor
Jones. senator Daniel, and Others.
The General Assembly Asked to
Take Cogni.ance OF the Matter.



,utionsl convention conference held here
to-day was attended by representatives
from the several sections Of the State,
and followed the line of policy marked
oui by the Dispatch. The result OF the
meeting, which lasted Throughout; the
afternoon and evening, was the unanimous
adoption OF resolution bringing 10 the
attention OF the Legislature the opinion Of
those participating that the time has
come for action Ia regard to the holding
Of a constitutional convention, and petit
tioning the General Assembly to call such
convention as soon as In its wisdom
II deems II expedient so TO do.
The Committee on Resolutions this after
noon gave some consideration to the oues-
ton OF whether the Legislature could
itself at once call a constitutional conven-
ton, or whether IL would first have TO
submit the question to the people as 20
whether there should be a constitutional
convention or not. There was diversity
Of opinion upon this point in the COM
mittee.
The several changes in the Constitution
as to the judiciary system and form Of
county and city government. the public
school system Din the direction Of i'm
proving and extending its efficiency. the
method of election of judges, etc.
The conference was held In the old
opera-house. Letters had been received
ty the committee in charge OF the move
ment from hundreds of prominent Demo
.xtn
endorsing the movement and expressing
their intention to be on hand. or course
A. was a matter of imposslbility for all
these TO come.
THE CONFERENCE CONVENES-
The conference was raped TO order
promptly at 3 l.. 81. by Charles |. Stewart
OF the Citizens Committee of Roanoke
who sent out the circular-letter calling IL
NJ. Stewart first read that communica-
ton. which In measure explained N,
PURPOSES Of the conference. IL reierfeu
10 the burdens imposed upon the COM
,nonwealth by the Underwood Consutu-
ton. IL further cited the necessity Tor
careful revision Of our organic laws, that
the material social. and political welfare
OF the Commonwealth might be promoted
This circular was signed by Messrs
Charles 1. Stewart, w. o. Hardaway. s.
Y. Jones. and IA. S. Trout OF Roanoke
Mr.. Stewart called upon MIR. w. o.
Hardaway To act as temporary chairman
and n y Rarham. OF the Petersburg In
dex-Appeal. to take the place Of temporary
secretary, and these gentlemen ascended
the platform.
Mr.. Hardaway was then presented as
temporary chairman OF the meeting, and
addressed the conference briefly. He sald
the movement was not only one Tor 'he
good of the Democratic party In Virginia,
af
economic interests Of the Commonwealth.
IL made no difference what action might
be taken by the conference. the work had
been started, and would go on ana on
until Il rebound d TO the glory OF the
State of Virginia. He declared that MS
associates and himself. as Democrats. had
called their fellow-Democrats together
and that even more persons had respond
I'd to their invitation than they had ex-
oected Not all Of the troubles OF the
Commonwealth were he said. due to Fed
,ral legislation Some OF them were home
rouhies The Underwood Constitution
MAS iniquitous and damnable.
A COMPARISON.
Mr. Hardaway made comparison OF
he judicial systems Of Nor.h caroinh
md Virginia, and said that in North caro-
ina twenty judges were doing the Work
" is6 In Virginia. and added that these
,lze and In population. lie criticised our
Election system which forced upon the
,eople OF the Commonwealth. he said. an
election every year. Ile averred that the
Democratic parry could not afford TO let
his state OF affairs 30 on and On for-
.ver The Democratic party was the par
Of jefferson. Of Mad son, OF Monroe,
md OF our grand and noble and chlval-
Gus John w DAM |. Great applause)
rhe speaker went into the details of the
working Of the court system in Virginia
claiming that the system WAS such as to
irive ca-ital from the State. The Com
nonwealth's attorneys and the Judge
we're not 10 blame for these things. II
sad occurred to him that the county
courts might be eliminated and the com
: oVnwcaltn's attorneys he made 20 do
= more work by the division Of tie State
Ato districts. as in North Carolina. The
eSsV1ative and the judicial branches Of
our sdky.rnment ought. ne said. TO b, dis
.inct NAany other States elected their
Judges ND their Superintendent of Pub
lie InstruNsion, etc. by the votes OF the
people. and Nirsinia could do so. also. Mr.
Hardaway deAtartd that this was a pc
Rod Of unrest anNpf transition. \ great.
gaunt CHASTITY. ho~>uble finarclal depres-
sion was upon our i\Rople. salvation lay
In the hands of the DNmocratic party. but
the Democratic party S1Qst be right. II
the Constitution was wronsN >he wanted 1t
righ,ed The seed had been w, and the
state would reap boun'iful harvest. ZAP
plauseD
Chairman Hard ,way then announced The
following Committee on Permanent orgN\p-
ization. Messrs u. ~ Bell =. j. Otey. N
Il. Clayton Nj NJ. ROGERS, c. III. Davis,
Charles |. s .ewart. anc T. w. Miller.
MAYOR JONES SPEAKS.
After this announcement Mr.. Hardaway
introduced Hon. S. +. Jones. Mayor OF
Roanoke who. after welcoming the mem
beers Of the conference 10 the city, Aaid;
IL is said revolutions never go back
ward" and IL can be truthfully said
that reforms. like large bodies, move
slowly. This is true OF social, political.
and religious reforms. and every reform
movement In ali the world, from the
writing Of Heroditus TO the Parkhurst
bubble in the city OF New York. have
been met with strenuous opposition and
many personal sacrifices.
The conditions that now exist In Vir-
ginia and those that pertained when the
Underwood fossil was fastened on our
people. are as different as those condi-
tons that existed In France after the
French Reyolution and those that now
confront the people OF that new republic.
A PROGRESSIVE AGE.
TBS II a pushing. progressive. fast age.
We hted constitution and laws fully up
TO date. The spirit or the age demands
that We no longer block the march OF
rToSress our State Government is too
expansive. our courts are too slow. Causes
Niger on our dockets and prisoners Ian
t>sh 10 our jails. Our criminal expenses
are enormous. and our States offices are
region. The present Constitution is out
OF JOINT and out Of time and tune. To
those VINO fear the calibre OF the polti-
ca complexion Of the men who may
compose me constitutional convention.
nave th's 10 say: Can a constitutional
convention In any event or any circum-
stances be Inferior 20 the unpatrio,ic.
monifei crew that composed the con-
yentton that formulated the Underwood
Constitution? Virginia Is Democratic. She
went 5000 strong for our present Cover
nor. aud only one congressional district
In the State went Republican last fall.
and that district had frequently gone
republican before. l have an abiding
fam and mistaken confidence In the
Democracy OF the old State But I be-
he,e IL 10 be the plain duty OF the
Democratic party 10 make this question
elean-cut. sharply defined issue In the
iai elections.