Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-11
TWELVE PAGES.
WEDNESDAY. APRIL Il. 1909
THE ISSUE.

"Do not make the mistake Of imagin-
ing that the great issue before the peo-
pie % Virginia is whether or not the
work of n Constitutional Convention
shall be submitted to the voters for
ratification. Ii is whether or not there
shall be Il Constitutional Convention"
Norfolk Landmark.
So? 1t Is interesting to learn. from
our contemporary, that It is of no inn
portance that the people of Virginia
should have voice In the adoption OF
their Constitution. 1t had not been
the general impression that Virginia
had progressed quite so far on the
royal high road to an oligarchy that
she must take her supreme law ready
made from the hands OF agents, with
out being permitted to say whether
OF not she likes IT,
"The issue" says our contemporary,
SIS not whether the work of the con-
vention shall be submitted TO vote Of
the people, The convention is the
thing; 'the people be d-nd" 1t is a
new Constitution that is wanted; a
-tinkered Constitution. 1t
does not matter what kind of Consti-
tuition it is, or whether the people of
Virginia want 1t. There are only two
requisites: that it shall be new, and
Shall bear the Convention hallmark
and benediction. 1t may have other
hall marks. the hall-marks Of men ana
corporations with axes TO grind; but
that Is not worth considering. 1t Is
not an Issue" The people are not an
Issue" not even n side issue. What
business rs it OF theirs? Their duty is
to take what the Convention" gives
them, ana be thankful that it is new.
And yet the men who are 10 fashion
this Constitution will be office hold
ers." and the office holders" our con-
temporary alleges. are conspiring
against the welfare of Virginia. The
men who have been chosen to public
office In Virginia and who have been,
all Of them for months, some of them
for years. under the eyes of their con-
6tituents. are banded together 1--WE are
told) to deepoil the State through the
present Constitution. Yet other
men, unknown men as yet, untried men
maybe, arc to be trusted to frame n
new Constitution: are to be trusted so
implicitly that there Is even no issue
as to whether the people shall be per-
mitted to review their work. Elect n
man Sheriff. or Justice Of the Peace. or
County Clerk. and he becomes n
Bcoundrel. we are told, who conspires
against his State; elect him n mem
Der Of Convention to amend the Con-
stitution and he becomes wise and good
beyond the possibility of wrong or Of
error.
The great Issue" before the pcople
of Virginia les not that they shall have
q new Constitution, or an amended
Constitution, but that they shall have
@ Constitution which will safeguard
equally every interest Of the state: n
Constitution that vii, not impose un-
just burdens on the people. or grant
special privileges. The only way by
which this can be guaranteed is by a
submission of the proposed Constitu-
tion to n vote OF the people There
can be no issue greater than this he.
fore the people of any self governing
Commonwealth, because it is OF the
very essence of f-government in lis
highest, and yet in its simplest, form
1t is no indictment of the men who
ere to compose the proposed Convcn.
ton 10 say that they should not b,
left to fashion a Constitution thai
shall he law without a ratification bS
the people. a Constitution is Of
such supreme Importance that not t.
take so plain n precautlon against mis-
cakes as submission of It's terms to G