The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-18
THE VIRGINIA CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION.

tionaI convention took no oath of office.
1t is said to be a decidedly able body.
It's selection Of Hon. John Goode, OF
Bedford. as the president was certainly
well done. for he is a man of brains, of
character, of force, Of distinction, and
judgment. He stands high in Virginia,
and commands the respect and conf
dence of all outside who know of him
in his impressive personality. We took
time to read his address upon taking
his seat to preside over a strong body
of men, and it IS noteworthy and judic-
ious. 1t IS not brilliant or specially
eloquent even, but it is sound, ~tactful,
wise. OF course it has the peculiar Vir-
ginia ring, as all speeches by men of
hat state have-a little of the boastfui
and vain glorious and 1--WE are the
Lords" But 1t is d speech of excellence
and equal to the occasion. He said:
at has Deen said that the greatest Of
all builders are the builders of states.
The time has been when Virginians
were recognized as master-builders in
the working of framing constitutions.
They promulgated the first written
constitution for a free and independent
commonwealth ever known to man.
kind.
Now, gentlemen, it is not to be sup
posed that this learned body will copy
the work of any other body. We are
here as Virginians to make a constitu-
ton for Virginia, and Virginia hereto
fore has been accustomed to lead and
not to follow"
He referred with biting emphasis to
the course of the north in forcing suf-
frage on the incapable, ignorant ne
groes. He was very satisfactory in all
he said in this connection. Among
other things he said, and it is we'll
worth copying here:
Another subject Of transcendent in
terest and Importance is that of suf-
frage. The right of suffrage is not a
natural right. 1t is a social right, and
must necessarily be regulated by So
ciety. Virginia. within her own bord-
erS, can regulate it according to her
own sovereign will and pleasure, pro-
vided she does not violate the const1-
tuition of the United States. Tha con-
stitution does not confer suffrage upon
any citizen.
f"Now, 1 repeat, our people nave no
prejudice. no animosity against the
members of the colored race, but they
believe, and I believe with them, that
the dominant party in congress not only
committed a stupendOuS blunder, but a
crime against civilization and Christi
anity when. against the advice OF their
wisest leaders they required the people
OF Virginia and the south, under the
rule of the bayonet, to submit TO uni
yersal negro suffrage. CApplause).
THE negro had just emerged from a
state of slavery; he had no e~ducauon.
he had no experience in the duties OF
citizenship. He had no qualification
- tho <ITnnr1nnS nj
government.
This venerable and wise Virginia
statesman sees as other wise men OF
the south have seen it all along, that
the act of the north was most 1n1uolcl-
Gus. most criminal in placing the in
ferior race have the regnant white
race. He referred to the negro In MS
tory and said that lever since the dawn
Of history. as the pictured
Df Fgypt attest. he had occupied a po-
sition of inferiority. In the language
of an eminent Virginian On another oc-
casion. he had founded no empire. he
had built no lowered city, invented no
art. discovered no truth, ~bequeather no
everlasting possession to the future
through lawgiver, hero. bard, or bene-
factor of mankind.
Under these circumstances, I repeat,
that to install universal negro Suffrage
was a grievous wrong, not only to the
white race, but to the colored race
Also" The north may yet see this IN
the white light of truth. Here n
there are men 10 be found who under
stand now what a ~stupendous blunder
was pe~rpetrated under the inspiration
of hatred and revenge, but hey con-
stitute as yet a mall minority. Within
five days in a leading western paper we
saw an article scoring and villipendlng
the south for daring to deprive the ne
gyoes of suffrage under any plea or by
any plan. We hope Virginia will move
out on safe, honorable. just lines, that
it will achieve great results for the
great state, mother Of statesmen
and to quote President Goode, that the
politics in Virginia may be so purlned
that in all the years to come her es-
cutcheon shall not be stained by any
act of fraud, bribery, corruption. false
registration, false counting, or n de-
bauching methods in the ndu oil
elecllonS. <Gisdl dppiduseI
ty and the perpetuity OF our free insti-
buttons depend upon thepurity and the
inyiolability of the ballot. (Applause).
I'm addition to these subjects which
T have briefly @adyerted-and which /
shall not discuss-such as the adoption
of a wise and equitable system of tax
alton and the prevention OF unequal
and unjust assessments or property In
This state 10th real and personal, is he
regulation of the trusts (~applause) as
far as it can be done under the hmita-
lions Of the federal constitution, SO "a
to protect the people, if possible, from
the encroachment Of corporate greed
and corporate power, applause.
The least in quantity and most in
quality describes DeWitt's Little Early
Risers, the famous pills for co~nstipa-