Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-03-20
SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1897.
Entered at the Postoftice at Accoma,
@. H.. Va. as second-class matter


paper has not convinced rs of the
necessity for constitutional con-
vention at this time, and throws no
light upon the question, in our
opinion, which vii! convince our
readers, that ii is s duty, which they
owe to themselves, to adopt his
views. Everybody expected 81 clev-
erly written article from him and no
one doubted that his rhetoric as usual
would be faultleSs-and in these re-
spects he has not disappointed us
but the facts and figures looked for
in the article, showing the necessity
for convention, do not appear in it,
and the inference is natural that the
great saving to the Commonwealth
predicted by him through the con-
vention, existed only in his magma
ton. For his enlightenment, how
ever, and those who agree with him..
figures are submitted il an article
published elsewhere from the Rich
nond Dispatch, showing how unten-
able is the position taken by him
AS the Dispatch well says, Thoughts
constitutional convention might be
ordered in May next. and though it
might be composed of the best ma-
terial. we doubt if any provision
would be made for cutting down the
sums paid to the higher institutions
of learning, or for public schools, or
for pensions, or for lunaticS items
that make the great bulk OF our eX-
penses. So nearly all the figuring to
be made on the expenditures that so
directly to the support ofthe govern
ment.n And no one, even with the
optimistic views Of Mr.. Parsons can
say that there is enough margin in
the $4,000 used for the support OF
the State government, to enable us
TO make saving of $250,00O or even
half that amount if convention
should be held. There is no such
margin for saving in the State gov
eminent; if it exists anywhere it must
be in the county government
and we are unwilling 10 incur the
expense of a convention with the
prospect OF getting nothing in return.
If, however, Mr.. Parsons is for Gull
ing the sums paid to the public
schools, for the care Of lunatics and
the like, then there might be some
reason for convention. But he is
not for retrenchment along these
lines, nor would the members of a
convention be, and the question con
sidered from that standpoint is
hardly debatable one.
We could however, in the opinion
OF Mr.. Parsons, retrench as Georgia
and North Carolina have done, but he
does not give us one item OF expense
which we have, which they have cut
off, how much they pay out for pen
sions, for the care of their lunatics.
10 public schools, to their literary
institutions or as interest on the pub
lie debt. He surely cannot expect us
to accept as correct any statement
which he might make, which he
could not verify by giving us some Of
the details-and he will not say that
We have not one debt to pay, the H.
terest on our public debt, amounting
to $714,1O5, which neither of these
States have to pay. Give US at least
what the expenses of these States
are for the support OF their govern
ments, and let US compare them with
ours. Submit your figures Mr.. Par.
sons, and we are open to conviction
and if you can demonstrate to our
satisfaction that a convention would
be a good thing, we are with you.
But the high sounding phrases
with which Mr.. Parsons winds up his
communication does not convince us.
nor will convince our readers, and
surely there is nothing in the spread
eagle statement that it takes a mil.
lion more to govern Virginia than it
does the great Empire State Of
Georgia. a sufficient answer to that
statement is, that we are compelled
to pay nearly that amount as interest
on our public debt more than Georgia
does because she has very little, if
any public debt.
Give me liberty or give me DEATH
sounds very pretty, but in these hard
times, deliver us from a convention,
which would burden US with more
debts than we now have, sounds bet
ter. What Mr.. Parsons means by ian
office-holding oligarchy who seeks
to fatten on the miseries of the peo-
ple," we don't know-perhaps he can
enlighten us; and in asking for roll
call for the opponents of a convention
he probably derives great comfort
from the fact that the populists of
the State are with him. Whether
the democrats and republicans are
for or against convention, it mat
tiers not. Considering it as a purely
business proposition we are against
it, and we believe that the majority
Of the voters of the State, viewing in
that light, will cast their votes with
us on the fourth Thursday in May.
r,Lo Doo;doo+ l.e ,o,n;ro+od 81