The Washington times., 1901-08-07
THE VIRGINIA CONVENTION
Delegate Flood Discusses the Cues
ton of Suffrage.
He Declares There Is No Chance
for Clause in the Constitution
Which VIII Disfrnnchise Amy Con-
siderable Number of White Men.

RICHMOND, Va, Aug. 6.-Discussing
the work before the Constitutional Con
vention, II. ID. Flood, who represents APP
pomattox County in the body, said today:
without divulging the secret delibera-
tions of the Suffrage Committee, of which
l am member. | may say that sufficient
progress has been made to establish the
fact that the report of the committee will
practically disfranchise no white man.
No matter whether the right of franchise
be based upon property or an educational
qualification, or some other qualification,
there is not the slightest chance for
suffrage clause that will disfranchise any
considerable number of white men. 1t
will carry out the Norfolk pledge upon
this point. The convention was called
for the purpose-first, to eliminate the
negro vote to the utmost practicable ex-
tent; and secondly, to reduce the taxes
and the expenses of operating the gov
ernment. If these two objects are ac-
complished there is no combination of
opposing influence that can defeat the
constitution.
Il use the expression, defeat the con-
stitution because there ought to be
question, hesitation about submitting
the constitution to the people by which
to vote under the present constitution.
Judge Harrison tells me that if thus sub
mitted it will carry by thousand major
ity in Frederick County, whereas it Will.
in his opinion, be defeated by a thousand
votes if submitted to an abridged elector-
ate. Judge Campbell, or Amherst, and
various other members, tell me that in
their counties il will stand a Tar better
chance of ratification if submitted to the
unabridged rather than the abridged cleo
torate."
In regard to the reduction of taxes, Mr..
Flood said:
Perhaps 1 should have confined my
remark to a reduction of the expenses
of running the State government. But,
in this connection, l will state l am en-
gagged with Judge Harrison and some 9TH
er members in formulating a new scheme
of taxation. Our plan is to practically
relieve the people of all State taxes upon
real and personal property. l believe it
can be demonstrated that these classes
of property Creal and personal estate) need
only bear the burden of taxes for county
and city or corporation purposes, and not
for operating the State government. This
would do away with boards Of equiliza-
tion. and all that sort of thing. and bring
about the result that personal property
would bear its commensurate share of
taxation with real estate in county and
city taxation. 1t would result in greatly
reducing the taxation on these classes OF
property. In my section ii would reduce
it one-half
by the proposed system 81, 500, 900 would
be taken from the revenues of the Com
monwealth: and in order to make this
up. the towns and cities would have to
surrender their right to tax railroads and
other corporations. Without increasing
the tax upon these corporations there
would be an increase Of between S600, 900
and $500 600 on the revenues of the State.
The counties and municipalities would
alstD have to surrender the right to i'm
pose license taxes upon the sale of liquot
and upon all similar licenses. The differ
ence can be made up by turning over to
the State all the tax upon railroads and
other corporations, and by increasing the
liquor license tax. This liquor traffic will
stand much heavier tax than the pres
one"