Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-12-19

stitutional Convention are now practically
all of that opinion Richmond Times.
The child.like simplicity of the Rich
mond Times in itsexp es.i IN Of con6del c.
as to the motives influencing the ConstIu
tional Convention is amusing. If the men
who dominate that body decline to adopt
an understanding clause" it will not be
in response to the wishes OF the
better and more intelligent class
of Nirginians, but purely as
matter Of policy. The purpose Of the
Convention has been by some "device or
scheme" to dodge the Constitution of the
United States in the restriction of suffrage.
So said Major Anderson, member OF the
Convention and the Attorney General,
elect OF Virginia. In other words, 1t has
been the purpose of the Convention to
"put into her organic law provision that
contempates fraud on the Supreme law
of the land. This is to be accomplished
by subteriuge, and that was What the ''un
derstanding clause" was intended for
It's author declared that. while the clause
was not to be frau iulent y admins cred,
it Mas to lie partially administered. We
have heard other members Of the Conven-
ton make similar declarations When the
"psriia! administration was explained 1t
became nothing more than a cunnlngly
devised scheme for fraud.
The Convention is The child OF fraud. 1t
WAS brought into existence by afrauiuleht
legislative act, was ordered 10y an election
frauduienlly held and returned, has rati-
fed fraud by setting member fraudulent
Iy elected, and at the very beginning Of It's
work showed its fraudulent purpose by
refusing to have its numbers take All a h.
These have been acCentuated by The dis
position TO make the test of statesmanshlp
in the body the capacity for framing a
cunning device To nfract the Constitution
of the United States that would not be de.
CARED unconstitutional by the Federal
COURTS. Besides, the Democratic members,
the leaders Of the Convention, have made
further proof of all disregard of political
ethics, by announcing their intention to
disregar the pledge of the Democracy to
submit the new Constitution to the people
for ratification or rejection.
The Richmond Times says: Virginia
has name of which she is proud aud a
reputation among States which her people
would have her maintain. Virginia is
public exemplar among States" During
the past twenty five years there has been
no craftsmanship or political methods en-
ployed that are calculated to make honest
Virginians proud of their State. The fire.
quent exposures of corrupt methods
by the Times, and the more recent expos
ures made in the Montsgue.Swanson coli.
test are better calculated 10 make Virgin
ians hang their heads in shame than TO
have pride in her reputation.
TIE Times knows that craftsmanship
has Jiegenerated into ring rule in Virginia
and that frauds at the ballot box have
made the voice of the people silent. Ac'
cording to the testimony of Carter Glass
the Legislatures of Virginia have degener.
ated into bargain counters, and, from fire.
quent declarations of Democratic newspa.
pers they have been the plant tools of cor
poration lobbes If Virginia is now"a pub
lie exemplar among States" God pity the
States that follow her example. Ken
lucky did by the ado ton of the Goebel
law, and thereby made herself infamous.