The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-03-21
CONSTITUTIONAL con ENTIoE

\ Pulaski county man -1ys tlH' ih.
main object in calling Constitutional
Convention is 10 'drhom The lHrsey-
Pulaski News.
let ~ anchor orr ncN election system
deep and inst in the rocks 0i the ton.ti-
tuition tscli-out oi raachoi thnbuAcfiua
OF surface and passing legislaton.-Uan-
Vile Free Press
The county committee met Monday
and selected the 2othoi ipril inr precinct
primaries to select candidate as dele
gate 10 the Constitutional Convention
from Essex county.
1t is stated that t. s. Marshal Mora1n
Treat will formally announce his randi-
dacy for the convention from Che district
composed OF Hanover and King William
counties in n few days
The labor unions OF Richmond city
are determined 10 have representation in
the constitutional Convention IF tneIc
combined efforts can secure this rnf.
They mayendOrse some the cauiidatc-
now in the field or they may bring ont
new ones by Saturday.
The Democrats ofAccOmac county will
meet at the Courthouse ON Monday 2Jth
of March court day) To decide upon %
plan for selecting "a delegate to thc Cons
stitutional Convention. and also go Be-
eide upon mode OF nominating the vari-
Gus District officers 10 be- elected in tlc
coming May election.
The Democratic Committee oi Kappa
hammock county, hascalled n primary
ton to be held on Saturday. March j0th
mt each precinct in the county, for tie
purpose of electing Delegates To a county
convention which shallconycne AT Wasb-
ington on the 18th day OF April Court
day) to nominate a candidate tu thc
Constitutional Convention
Considering the fact that the judicial
system Of the State is one point at which
the Constitutional Convention could wn-
doubtedly inauguratcccOno reforms
without detriment To anyone, there Is
something rather alarming in the long
list of country judges who are being sug
gested as probable member OF the body
Newport News Telegram
Hon. b. r. Wexford. OF Richmond does
not think that judges OF the supreme
Court Of Appeals and Judges OF the Cir
cult Courts are eligible To- the tonstitu-
tional Convention lie bases his opinion
upon section ~. Article W.. Oi the pres
ent Constitution. and 80 firm are his CON
victions. that he has declined an invita-
ton to seek membership in the body.
Asin Louisiana. so in Mississippi tha
payment Of the poll-tax rs a prerequisite
to votingis having the effect to disirnn
chise large number OF whites. 10 Is
said that in Mississippi. total Oi l46.-
5S7 voters havedisiranchised themselves
this year by their failure to pay their
pOll-taxes and will be unable to partiri-
pate i'm the congressional elections Ol
1902. And this in addition 10 the threat
ened otherwise dislranchisement because
of illiteracy.
The State OF Virginia is divided into a
hundred counties In each OF those conn
ties there is judicial system, virtually
controlled 10y the representative in The
Legislature, and n school system virtual
ly controlled by the Governor and Attor
ney General. These conditions make OPP
portunity for ring and machine rule such
as no other State in the Union has One
Of the questions to be asked candidates
for the Constitutional Convention should !
be whether they favor change OF our |
judiciary system and the public school |
laws. All the candidates should be re- |
quired To answer these questions. and |
others. The people should know who |
and what they arevoting tor-Richmond |
News.
Candidates whose seats in the Consti- !
tutional Convention would depend upon
the theory that membership in the con-
yention does not constitute an "Olice,
in the legal sense OF the term, would be
greatly handicapped in the race for cleo
ton. II they were chosen, the sections
which sent them might be deprived OF
When such a man, no
matter how high an office be holds, has
not enough consideration for the public
to promise to resign that office in the
event OF his being elected a delegate To
the Constitutional Convention, he ought
to I've left where he is. II there were any
soundness in the remarkable argument
that membership in the constitutional
is not an office, the Legisla-
ture could have legally pronounced only
the white men OF the State eligible TO
vote for the delegates to that convention.
Norfolk Landmark