Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-11
TWELVE PAGES.
FRIDAY. MAY II. 1900.
CONSTITUTION AND POLITICS.

"It Is of the greatest Importance to
the welfare and real interests of the
State that there should be two whole
some and reputable parties. acting as
q balance one upon the other in the in
forests of government of the people, for
the people. by the people. If the pro-
posed revision of the Constitution did
not accomplish this, ii would disas-
trously fail In the chief end of new
Constitution" = Petersburg Index-Ap-
peal.
With due respect for our contempt
rary this appears to be a rather crude
view of the purposes to be served by n
Constitutional Convention, though the
Index Appeal by no means holds 1t
alone.
Let it be granted that it is to the
hest interest of n State that it should
have two political parties. so nearly
equal in numbers and morale that each
will occasionally be called to bear the
responsibilities of administration. We
arc entirely unable to perceive wherein
1t becomes the duty of a Constitutional
Convention to undertake 10 bring about
such conditions. 1t does not seem to lie
ton. sitting as representatives of the
people of Virginia, to father n new po-
l.ical party or to attempt measures
for the rehabilitation OF an old one.
On the contrary, If Constitutional
Convention should assume to tinker the
fundamental law with a view to re-
shaping political policies, or remaking
political parties, itwould thereby pro-
ject itself into a sphere where it has no
sort of business. Such n convention is
not commissioned to supervise the
politics CT citizens. or to furnish the
Commonwealth with ready-made polti-
cal parties and the less politics there is
in its deliberations the better for the
convention and the State.
The argument. repeated to the point
or utter WEAKNESS. that it will be the
duty of the convention. when II shall
have met. to propose the disfranchse-
ment of any class OF voters. in order
that another class may feel free TO
change its politics. is puerile to the
point of abject Stiffness. If the negro
vote Is menace to the Commonwealth.
and there is any way of being rid of IT.
let the convention find 1t. But let us
justify the proposed Acknowledgement
on that quite sufficient ground. Let us
not stultify ourselves by seeking TO ms
THY IL on the ground that number of
Democrats would fan turn mugwump
or Republican, but are restrained NV
the negro vote The convention may
very well be excused from catering to
such fastidiousness in politics.
So far as precedent goes, there is alb
solutely nothing to justify the assump
ton that Acknowledgement of the negro
Will elevate the Republican party 10
dignity and responsibility. In South
Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana the
negro has been DISTINGUISHED. In the
first, there Is no Republican party left.
In the second. it is never heard of. ex-
cept at conventions and when there is
patronage 20 distribute. In Louisiana
It has become the plaything of n few
unugwump sugar planters, and figures
in politics only as an unlimited pro-
Queer of language unfit to print and
copious dispenser OF bloody threats
that 1t is too cowardly to execute.
The attempt to transfuse a little re-
spec liability from Democracy to Repub
licanism Is not likely to meet with a
larger measure of success in this State.
AS to that. we neither know nor care.
We are clear. however. that it is not
the business of a Constitutional Con-
vention to make any such attempt.