The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-10-15
-, 1901.
\ UNSUITABLE PLEDGE(N

The Charlottesville Progress is very in
sistent as TO the dvisability-nay, the
duty-of the Constitutional Conventions
making some deliverence on the suffrage
question before the election. The Con
vention has, it says, clearly demonstrated
that it intends TO deprive no worthy
white man of his vote, and this fact
should be spread broadcast by our Dem
Ocratic speakers. But it adds. misrepre-
sentatiOn is abroad, and is going to do
great harm unless it is promptly met and
refuted. In no direction" our cOntem-
pOrary sets forth, lis Misrepresentation
more aggressive than in the matter of
suffrage, and in no direction is it likely to
do greater damage"
As to the prOnOuncement proposition,
we have given it much thought; and we
cannot see how the thing can be done
without danger OF its being brought up
against us hereafter should the new Con-
stitutiOn be tested in the Federal courts.
We recently made a suggestion similar
to the PROGRESSES, but the most mature
reflection that we have been able to give
the subject has not enabled us to divine
how such an utterance-desirable as ii
is-can be made without becoming. pos
sibly, part of a record which might be
lugged into the United States courts.
But the Norfolk convention which
called the Constitutional Convention into
existence laid down the broad principle
of confirming the suffrage TO the whites
in the following resolution:
Resolved, That it is the sense of this
convention that in framing new Con
stitution, no effort should be made to
disfranchise any citizen of Virginia who
had a right to vote prior TO 1861, nor
the descendant of any such person.
That should not leave the Republicans
a leg to stand upon in the matter of their
charges touching Democratic intentions
respecting the suffrage Dis
patch.
We have reproduced the somewhat
lengthy extracts from the Dispatch
for the purpose of slight criticism
not at all in a captious or complain
ing vein. We think that the suffrage
proposition should have been solved
ere this, sand made known to the peo-
pie previous to the election. Failing
this we believed it due the people and
both parties that the intents of the
convention on this score, at least,
should have been given out. In the
campaign now on, one side says you
will" and the other eve won't" and
, the voter is as far to seek as ever,
and RECALLED only with the political
lie being passed and banded about.
We cannot see, though, that a pro-
nOuncement would in anywise help
the Democrats, in view OF the fact
that a pronOuncement was issued
from one Norfolk convention that the
new Constitution should be sub
mitted to the people for ratification.
1t seems to be generally accepted
that this declaration will not be con-
formed to; then how does the fore
going declaration from the same
Convention, as quoted by the Dis
patch, have any weight of argument?
If we mistake not the Dispatch very
zealously and for long time quoted
the precept of the Norfolk convention
on the submission promise, but all
in vain. Does our contemporary
think this last quotation will be ac-
cepted now in good faith by suffra-
gists? platforms are not made to
stand upon" and the Dispatches
partyis not less aware of this thanis
any other political party.