The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-11-30
IKE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

The suffrage conference will he resumed
Monday night. but the caucuses incident
TO the meeting of the Legislature VIII
probably interfere with these. Mr. ulaFT
hopes to he able TO make the argument
for his plan Monday night.
The people OF Virginia are not uniting
with those OF Alabama today IN thanks
giving for new constitution. nut th'N
might have done so il the talkative mem
beers of the State convention had made
fewer and shorter speeches Alex. TIA
zette
The Committee on Cities and Towns has
decided to recommend that city ',e"sui
ers be elected 10y the people ana sli .,
be ineligible after the second term. ne
CITY Commissioner OF Revenue Is 10 be
selected as the General Assembly may
provide.
The Virginia Constitutional CONVEX
ton has taken a long step III the right
direction 10y requiring compulsory at
tendance at school of children between
he ayes of eight and thirteen years
North Carolina must do likewise II II VIII
stop illiteracy Raleigh News and OBJ
server
Before il will be in order to determine
whether the recently-elected Legislature
or its successor. shall put the new Con
stitution into statutory effect, the CON
yention must decide whether 1t will pro.
claim its work or submit II To the people
far ratification. In the latter event, the
aforementioned legislative duty prohab-
ly would fall upon another General rs
semblv than that which was elected ON
the fifth instant Richmond Dispatch.
MIR. Moncure. Of Stafford. offered "A sui
irage plan which provides that all eIec'
tions shall be- viva vOce. Voters must
nav n Der capita tax of SlJO at least
six months prior to the electlQP. possess
real estate valued ut at least Sl0u or a
Virpiniairegistered State bond of 500 \
voter will he registered on his personal
anplicatiOn and continue As a voter a.
long ns he maintains the requirements
under his registration only whites " III
bc eligible for office.
L
FREE Lance il correct IN saying that
the vicious white voter Il receiving en-
tirelv too much consideration from our
statesmen. But this error, which began
some time before the Constitutional Ton
vention assembled. has been committed,
and numbers of the members OF the con
yention have either pledged Themselves
to il or have been instructed 10y their
constituents TO be governed 10y ut. What
use is there in butting ones head against
"A stone wall2 The error Is bad. but II
will not keep the convention from prnvld-
inc for honest elections Norfolk Land
mark
The convention in Committee oi
the whole adopted Mr. Walker's sub
stitute Tor section 3. which provided Tor
the appropriation of S2jO,OOo Tor the
improvement of the penitentiary.
section providing Tor special board oil
directors for each of the state inSttn
tions. of three members. named by the
Governor. was agreed TO. Section o..
giving control of all State hospitals to a
general board ofdirectOrs. was cOncurrcd
in There was locking of horns when
section came up The section deals
with the appointment ofsuperintendents,
who are to hold office during good
behavior. and shall be subject 10 removal
for incapacity or neglect.
MIR. Watson, OF NOttOway, offered an
amendment. which was agreed to.placing
the appointment OF subordinates 10 the
special boards Of directors, subject 10 the
general board of directors
Section :. creating a commissioner at
state hospitals and defining his duties
was agreed to.
Section @. providin&ior the appoint
ment Of state Board Of Charities, to
consist OF not less than tivenor more than
fifteen members. upon which women shall
be eligible, was taken up