Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-03-25
THURSDAY, MARCH %, 1897.
THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION.

COkpEk TIUN.
No greater political danger ever con-
fronted the people of Virginia than the
Constitutional Convention question, which
is to be submitted to the voters on the
fourth Thursday in next May, The men
who are urging that such convention
shall be called and held, offer as primary
reason the necessity for economizing in the
expenses of our State government. This
reason is neither an intelligent nor sincere
one. The politicians who present it, know
that more satisfactory, economical and
positive way of changing the constitution
has been provided by way of amendments
passed by the Legislature and submitted
to the people. In that way our present
constitution has been amended several
times; and any further needed changes
can be effected in the same manner. Ifthe
tricksters, who are for convention, are
sincere in their position, why don't they
point out the defects in the constitution
that they desire remedied? They ought to
file bill of particulars. This they are I'M
able or unwilling to do. When they offer
economy as an excuse for convention it
is always coupled with suggestions for con-
tracted suffrage. Their tempting pleas for
retrenchment and reform are mere bats to
catch the unsuspecting voters. Beneath
the bait is the deadly poison which they
hope to administer to the people Of Vir-
ginia.
If the convention is called and the
schemers get control of it, the true purpose
will be revealed. Educational and prop
erty qualifications will be injected into the
constitution, and our State will be thrown
back to the position it occupied more than
half century ago, when property arts
tocracy, minority of the people, unjustly
controlled the government. This purpose
of men who call themselves Democrats, tC
disfranchise a large portion of the voters
of the Commonwealth, is an outrage upor
the name and principles Of the old time
Democracy 1t is an effort to deprive hon
est men of God given right to have ;
voice in the government under which they
live This right has already been vestet
by constitutional enactment and to take i
away by another constitutional provision
would be robbery of the vilest character
The universal exercise of the elective fran
chise by people really free, instead o
being mischievous and dangerous is one O
the strongest safeguards to our form o
popular government, and the only method
for giving ex pression to the supreme SOW
ereignty of the people. Where each man
has AL equal and uncontrolled electoral
privilege, no jealousy or hatred will exist
towards his fellow citizens who hold con.
trary views TO his. Nothing could be
more dangerous to public tranquility than
to have large body of DISTINGUISHED and
disconnected citizens. An educational or
property qualification for voting in Vlr-
ginia would create such body. Honest,
brave men, who arc called upon to perform
other necessary duties Of citizenship, would
not be content when deprived of their
right to vote. The musket-bearers of the
land-the bone and sinew of every COM
munity-ought to be aroused and awakened
TO the danger which threatens them. The
dangerous combination which has been en-
tered into to iniict an outrage upon suf-
frage, must be broken. Unless the true
men of Virginia, Democrats and Republic
cans, go to work, Mr.. Otey and bis fellow
conspirators may accomplish their purpose
at the MAY election.