Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-04
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.


CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
nv long odds the most important ac-
tim of the Legislature at TINS session -
.,at which provides for the taxing Vi
the sense of the people in May 1884, On
t,e question of calling CONSTITUTIONAL
convention. ..o
A week or two ago, we dare say
hold and able leader of this movement
Mr.. Withers, had no hope that the reso-
lution would pass the Senate nut"
Loo. tho House. But the more our stale
enances and election laws were discussed
.ha stranger became the CONVICTION OF
-..,,,hers that a convention should be
held.
Notwithstanding the fact that very con-
.,asrsb,s reductions have been made IN
,ha svnenses of our State Governments
nv bills passed at this session. 'here Is
reason to fear that when we nave "
nav per cent, instead OF z per CENT,
interest upon our State debt, we shan
-. no able TO do so readily unless we
raise the tax-rate. or our. taxable VaiueS
shall have largely increased meanS'hiie' Ut
,,roat reductions are made in State eX-
ranses. Many who supported the COLI
snt,on resolution did so believing 'hat
~ the neople wished to adopt more
-..o,o,r,cal system Of government than
we now possess they ought 10 nave INC
opportunity to summon convention 10
do their work.
p,,t the influence of the elections de-
hate ON the convention question was even
more potential than were the hiianciai
considerations The friends OF the war
ION law were triumphant In their de-
se,ca NJ that law. They demonstrated
that until a convention could meet ana
,,,, some sort OF restriction upon the
suffrage Of the vicious and ignorant
would be impossible to frame a better
elections law for Virginia than the war
ton law.
both the Senate bill and 1.-THE Parker
u4ouse) substitute for the Senate Dill
retained most Of the features OF the war
ton law. The. changes made were IN the
direction of perfecting the Walton iaw'
and In the way of substituting Judge
for the special constable.
our new law-we suppose it will be called
the Parker law-also provides that at
county or corporation elections, where no
marty nominations are made the paiIot-
ing shall be conducted under the ola
Anderson Mccormick law; the law that
was IN force in Virginia before inc
Australian system was adopted. All other
e,ections will be held under the
parker-Walton law.
The abolition of the office or specai
constable Is a concession 10 GOOD Demo-
Gratis who have never favored the
constable feature, and we trust that the
law is now perfectly acceptable to them;
a,,t we must say, after hearing all OF the
,,e,,ments made in the two houses for
and against the special constable, We are
more convinced than ever that that
,f,lcer deserved wen of his country. and
xas a good and faithful servant Of the
,ublIc. The instances where the con-
table has proved untrue to or neglect
,ul of his duties have been few. Indeed.
Nor is there any record Of any fairer
election being held in any State than that
held In Virginia last fall.
However all this is by the way. The
Legislature can hardly have hoped 10
.atisfy all men. The Walton law. as
perfected by the adoption of the Parker
mbstitute. gives our people the best cleo
lion law that they can hope to have
,nder the present Constitution 1t is as
much of q check upon the ignorant and
ylcious vote as II is In the legislative
snwer TO provide. But the sovereign
,eople may order convention. And
xhen the convention is called 1t may pre-
,are an article saying that in Virginia
10 man shall vote unless he be possessed
u one or another OF the following
notifications: Ability TO read and write;
,roof that he has been In the military
service OF Virginia in time OF war; or
a.at he pays taxes upon property TO the
iaiue OF s..
Nearly all of the Southern States have
sdcpted amendments TO their constitu-
IONS In relation to suffrage, and II
Virginia wishes to enjoy permanent peace
rom elections agitatIons and demagogIc
4xitators she must DO likewise.
Tho resolution agreed upon by the two
s.,uses fixes the fourth Thursday In
May, 1897. as the time for taking
.Se vote Then each qualified voter
ID this Commonwealth will be prl-
sllsgcd TO 90 10 the polls and vote 10
:syor OF or in opposition to calling con-
seption.
we take It for granted that the staun-
len Democratic convention win approve
shis action OF the two houses. II the
Convention commends the action OF the
LEGISLATURE and urges the Democrats
81 the State TO vote aye we shall
almost certainly have a convention TO
s revise and amend the present constitu-
(: tIop--wbich Ia tbs Underwood constitu-
flon. diluted. as 1t were, by various
e1nendments that the Legislature and the