The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-15
THE TIMEs COMPANY.
curlcislNG TIE CONVENTION.

y,,ox,, vario,1s comments that we nave
e heard. it would appear that many pei
ME IN Virginia think that the meineets
& &c t,,a Constitutional Convention are
having a pleasant time IN idciinio4iu
md are prolonging The session u "
der to pro,ong their season oil luh al
1 the expense of the State 1t Is asp'lf
& 1ghinr indeed that amy Senslbie MN
should take any such unreasohaple
view. Most of the members OF the
Constitutional Convention arc busy
men anG it is at great sacrifice TO theh
{ that they are remaining here III hlch-
& mond for so long a time to the neglect
sof their affairs at home. If they co'lia
wind l1p the business this week ana
adjourn they would be a happy set OF
men. They have not frittered away
the time They are not prolonsing the
session one day longer than is neces-
T sary. They are having a hard time Oh
81 it and they are objects Of syDpathE,
ave might almost say OF pity. rather
+ than of harsh criticism. They are
& iiish-minded men. striving to solve
some Of the most difficult problems
that ever presented themselves TO a
I Virginia convention.
Complaint is made first Of all that
the convention is taking up too much
time in discussing and considering the
suffrage question. But What man is
{ there from the outside who is able 10
present a plan of suffrage that Wall be
satisfactory to all sections and that
viii accomplish the object In view ::
The Committee or Elective, Franchise
discussed this question in all lis
phases, and although the members
met each other i'll n spirit of compro-
mise and concession they We're never
able to agree and the result is a ma
iority report and a minority report
from that committee But neither the
majority report nor the minority re-
port is satisfactory TO some OF The
members and other plans yet are 10 be
s submitted In view Of all this, it is
strange thar outsiders who have given
the subject little or no study should
undertake TO pass harsh criticism
upon the members of the convention
and say that they should long since
have settled this question and all 9th
er questions and adjourned
Some Of the critics are anticipating
and saving that the convention is go
I ing to take this stand or that stand on
the suffrage question and these are de-
nouncing the action of the convention
in advance. We say TO all such that
. in common fairness they should wait
until the convention has taken definite
action before they pass judgment We
do not mean by this to say that 1ile
people should not discuss these ques-
tions among themselves and give their
views But such discussion and such
presentation of views should be in "A
spirit of fairness and in. 4 spirit of
i Kindness rather than in a spirit Of
captious criticism.
Another complaint that we have
heard is that the convention is doing
nothing to reduce the expenses of
State government. We believe thar
4 the convention is going 10 do every
thing in this direction that can be done
without impairing the public service.
but we have told our readers time and
again during the past several years
that if they expected any considerable
reduction in this direction, they would.
in our opinion, be disappointed, for the
reason that such reductions were inl-
practicable
a great deal has been said about the
criminal expenses of Virginia, hit il
This entire item of expense should lie
wiped out the reduction in the general
expenses of the State would be about
one-foussh of the sum paid for public
education alone and less than half the
sum paid for interest on tae State
debt a great deal has been said
Z about the purely administrative ex-
penses of the State. but il this item
should be entirely eliminated. the
amount of reduction would be about
one-half the annual appropriation for
pnf1ilc schools and less than the amount
paid ont annually in interest on the
public debt. We mem by this TO en-
phaslze the fact that the great. bulk OF
the revenues received by the State are
disbursed in appropriation for .1be
common schools for interest on The
pubic debt FOR public institutions of
learning and eleenosgnary institutions.
me care Of Confederate veterans and
50 on. Eirsinia,.s disbursements on
these accounts amount to nearly S.
8 10000 annually. while her criminal
expenses are about S247 900 and her
purely administrative expenses some
thing more than half q million dollars.
In View of these Statements it will
be seen that it is not in tie power of
the convention to make reductions
that will be of benefit to the tax-!,ay-.
er. II criminal expenses were reduced
1 one-half. general taxation in Virginia
would be reduced less than five cents