Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1901-05-17
HITS the Southwest Hard.

constitution to the people for rati
fication. We do not believe it will
be wise to exact any other pledge.
No man can tell with any degree
of certainty what the convention
will DO, therefore he cannot say in
advance how he will vote on any
proposition. 1t is, however, known
that a resolution to restrict suffrage
will be submitted. What the quail
ltications of the electors will be no
one can tell, but 1t may be stated
with reasonable certainty that the
educated, property holding negro
will not be disfranchised.
1t is quite remarkable that the
demand for the Acknowledgement
of all heroes comes from the
Southwest, where there are no
negroes-a section of the State
which has always brought Virginia
In debt. There are large counties
in Southwest Virginia In which
there are less than 500 negroes that
draw out of the State treasury an
nually from $4,000 to $4,000 more
than they put into il. The records
in the auditors Office will show
that the Fifth and Ninth districts
bring the State of Virginia in debt
annually to the amount of Sl37, 900
while the First and Second districts
1.-The black couuties-pay Into the
treasury s233,OOO more thau they
take out of it. There is only one
county in the Fifth district that
pays more money to the state than
it gets from it. There are only
two counties in the First and Sec
ond districts that get more than
they pay. The single county OF
Accomac pays more net money TO
the State than Henry, franklin,
Floyd, Carroll, Patrick, Grayson,
Pittsylvania, of the Eifth district,
aud Lee, Scott, Wise Dickerson,
Bland, Washington, Buchanan, of
the Ninth; that one Underwater
county puts INTO the treasury more
net reuenue than fourteen South
west aud Southside Virginia coun-
ties. 1t is also worthy of note that
the Underwater counties declared
for "a constitutional convention and
the majority of the Southwest
Virginia counties voted against
the prop Osltion. 1t is fashionable
in tho Southwest to say that they
wish to disfranchise the negro &c
make Eastern Virginia honest
Eastern Virginia would like to
devise some scheme by which the
Southwest could be made TO bear
portion of the States bUIden,
and it is believed that little more
honesty IN the administration OF
county offices will go a long way
towards accomplishing the desired
end.
This is not a matter that the
constitutional convention will con-
slider. 1t properly belongs to the
Legislature, and the facts are noted
simply to show that the Stat,
treasury derives its money from
those counties in which the blacl
people live. The reduction of tin,
criminal expenses Of the State, il
fact The curtailment Of all til,
expe nses of State, will be the para
mount issue. How TO save tn,
tax pay ers about 100000 annual,
will engage the attention of tn,
convention.
The Democratic party is pledged
to a change of the constitution
The Republican party has declared
against any change. The blacl
counties will send to the convention
Democrats. The Southwestern,
white cOunties-wlll send a larg,
number of Republicans. Som,
of the most thoughtful public mel
In Virginia believe there will b,
from twenty five to thirty RepnbII
cans elected. There will certainI,
be quite a number of anti~conven
tion Democrats who would sympa
| thiSe with the Repuhjcans in fbai