Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-05-23
VOTERS.

convention TO form q new constitu-
ton for our beloved old State
lst-The great cost of q conven-
ton.
2nd-Old soldiers will be disfran-
chised.
3rd-Tske the negro out of poll
tics and the white men will become
republicans.
4th-We can't trust the men who
Will make the new constitution.
5th-A new constitution will
abolish many of the present offices.
Let US take the Let and 9Th argu-
ments together. If a lot of Office
holders are put out and their offices
abolished, that will save very
large amount EVERY year, and if a
convention should even cost two
hundred thousand dollars, that
amount would soon be made up by
the savings from the abolished offices
and other reforms. But no one es-
timated the cost over 100000 and
that would probably be saved in ONE
YEAR.
2nd-Do you believe ten Virgin
isns can be found in this State who
would DARE disfranchise one single
old Confederate soldier or his chill
dren. The vilest republican in the
State would not dare do it. He
would be cursed by his own party.
3rd-Whst do you think of any
one who declares it is the ''nigger"
who makes you q democrat? 1t is an
insult even to think such q thiugl
You are Virginians; men of principle;
not democrat because a negro is a
republican!
4th-If you cannot trust Virgin
lsns to make a constitution for dear
old Virginia, who in Heavens name
can you trust? Read History. Who
made Constitutions, Declaration of
Independence, Bill of Rights, Presi-
dents, Senators, Statesmen, Generals,
Patriots? Virginians! aye Virginiansl
and without the help of Underwood,
cannot descendants of these men
write as good a constitution as the
petit logger Underwood. Some of
you knew him before he fed the
county and the State, at the time
you or your fathers took mp arms as
Nirginisns and Democrats to defend
what was then your constitutional
rights.
Where are the polotical leaders
who are sometin es so blatant with
their eloquence? A little office is in
danger of being abolished and they
are silent. There must be a sweet
morsel hidden in this Yankee Under
wood Constitution, or the LAWYERS
would not be sleeping in their tents.
If this constitution is right and emf
mated from good source, they (the
speakers of the community should
come out bravely and say so. If
otherwise they should denounce it.
Even the great Senator Martin has
discovered that he is not opposed to
what the people have declared for.
Even he will train in behind the ma
jorlty who spoke at Norfolk.
Read the following from the Rich
mond Times, and then vote as YOU
know you ought to vote. to be rid of
all this carpet-bag stuff which was
forced down your throats at the point
of the bayonet.
Q. E. L.
There is no doubt that much of our
machinery of government is clumsy and
expensive and in sad need of reform, and
fee system in Virginia is little short of
robbery under the sanction of govern
ment.
The Newport News Herald In time
ly article on this subject says:
FOR instance, every petty officer is en-
titled under the Constitution TO certain
exborbitant fees for service that would
not be tolerated and are not tolerated in
any State in the Union except Virginia.
We know of case where a gentleman
supposed to be wealthy was forced by
adverse circumstances 10 make an as
Segment. lie was the owner of four
farms of about equal value-two located
In adjoining counties in Virginia and
two in adjoining counties in North Car
olina. Under the law the deed of as
signment had to be recorded in all four
OF these counties, and the fees for recor-
dalton in Virginia, which fees went 10
of1ceholders, such as court clerks, nota-
rles public, etc, amounted to nearly eight
hundred dollars, and the fees for the
same service in North Carolina counties |
were less than fifty dollars Another
case: A legal transaction involving less |
than an hundred dollars that came under |
our observation in Virginia had attached |
TO II fee amounting to eighteen dollars |
and seventy cents. We have the written /
statement of the clerk of a North Caro- |
Ina court that the fee bills on the same |
transaction in North Carolina would |
have amounted to only $1.05. We saw
lot long since fee bill attached TO a
punishment in Virginia city. The
iebt claimed under the punishment was
'nly $3.50 and the fee bill was $3.50. The
ees for the same service in North Caro-
ina would have been only 4S cents.
Some time ago our attention was cal
ed to little transaction in this city
which aroused our Indignation. A gem
leman who had been living in Richmond
lad moved to another city, leaving his
urniture here. By and by he sent for
rs furniture and a man to whom he
wed a small sum of money sued out an
ttachment The amOunt involved wao