Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-03-13

county paper.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVEN-
TION.
But little more than twelve-month
lies between now and the date for the people
to vote on the question of Unconstitutional
Convention'' OF ''No Constitutional Con-
vention."
It would be financial blessing to the
people Of this State to have convention
that would bring our expenses down far
enough even to approximate those OF our
sister States of North Carolina and Geor-
gia. Some public men of prominence who
oppose convention in Virginia, do SO on
the ground that they cannot see where our
present system can be replaced with one
that won't cost as much money. AND yet
if those men will look just across the boz
Ger they will see two States that do ac-
complish what they hold Virginia cannot
do. Again, these same opponents nave
told us that the legislature could do the
work of a convention as far as mere econ
omy is concerned. Well, the legislature
which has just adjourned, as well meaning
body as has assembled at Richmond, has
-otallp failed to carry out what II was
predicted il could do A balance sheet will
show that .bey have not saved the State
one cent, Dut have increased her obligations.
The small yetrenchments it made have
a1o,, h CONGRATULATIONS Ana
that will always e the way. 1t IS the
system. Via must l- changed and only q
convention can do that.
1t is impossible to brush aside Senator
Withers' figures which show SO clearly
where the waste Of money comes in the
Virginia system. Virginia, the present
Virginia, is third smaller than North
Carolina and has only thirty-eight thou
sand more Of population and yet Virginia
has 127 judges to North Cardinals %, and
pays hers $1,000 to North Cardinals
$50, coo Virginia has l16 prosecuting at
tornnys at So. 900 to North Cardinals Is
at $39, Sc. MI. Withers figures SHOW that
it costs Pittsylvania county and Danvillt
as much for pro scouting attorneys as Ii
costs the whole T Welfth Judicial District OF
North Carolina, composed q the counties
Of Rockingham. Stokes, SUry, Forsyth,
Davie, Wilkes, Y adkin and = 'eghany, and
embracing the towns Of Re5a lille, Salem.
and Mt. Airy, and the city Of Winston.
Mr.. Wtthers submitted 8 statement OF
thirty-three counties in Virginia which
gay $907, $3.50 county taxes aud $59s, 070.1s
State taxes, and estimating on that basis
he finds that the county taxes for the ell
tire State amount to 50, 100000, while theil
State taxes are 81 1888, 55777.67. The whole
county taxes of North Carolina are only
$946. 331.02, while those of Virginia art
s., 100, 600. The State and county expen
ses Of Virginia are S., s5} ,629.05, which is:
Just 81 1872 ,002. SO moe IAN the State and
county expenses of = OF Carolina, after
deducting the excess Ct interest paid OF
Virginia's State debt. fter showing 10y
statistics that Vugi as expenditures
have exceeded her income for the past three
years until million dollar surplus in he
treasury in 1892 has been reduced to
S62 900 in 1895, MI. Withers gives his
plan Of remedy as follows:
'sCall constitutional convention, composed
of the best minds in the State, restrict its
mum bers to the smallest possible limit for eff
cient work, and let them construct a Consti-
tuition that will bring Virginia to the age and
era of intelligent and enlightened govern
ment. Let them give us Constitution shorn
of absurd and costly features; a Constitution
that will give us an efficient, competent, and
economical State Government. How? Bs
abolishing all unnecessary offices and Off
Gals, such as commissioners of the revenue,
city and county trearurers, except in a few OF
the larger cities and counties; abolish the en-
tire county court system, with its (innumera-
BILE Judges, clerks, and prosecuting attor-
neys. force 4 J State Institutions to live upon
an economic | basis; make every official in
The State 'ort his salary, fees, commits
sions, anc g loWances once every year to the
proper o1fic at Richmond compel the State
and COUNTY 'fcialS to make public exhibits
of ever O. received and eXpended-this
statement besO made that ordinary people
may De abb to get a CLEAN of Intelligence
from it: alb lish all spring elections except
once in tot' years, elect the Governor with
the Preside lt,and members of the Legislature
with mem ers of Congress, thus abolishing
one bali f the autumn elections. Let the
Judges anu all the State officials be elected
rhy the people and stop at once subjecting our
judiciary to an election by the Legislature
lin fine, reduce every possible item of expense,
do away with every unnecessary election,
and remove very useless official, and give us
an intsllige ), efficient, enlightened, and eco
nomIcal government