The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-26
CANDIDATES FOR
THE CONVENTION
Primary Plan Adopted In.
Many Places.
/ MIR GOODIES SPEECH.
| He Addressed Voters In Bedford Or
Convention Issues.
| REFORM OF THE JUDICIARY.
This and the Looping Off OF Unnecessary
Ge;ces lie Regards as of Prime In
!, ,ortance-Adyises the People to
Go Slow in, the Matter OF
Dividing the School
REFORM OF THE JUDICIARY.
Especial Dispatch to The Times.)

BEDFORD CITY, VA, March 25.-lr.
John Goode addressed the voters in the
County Courthouse here to-day at the
noon recess Mr.. Goode was i'll excellent
trim. and his speech. scholarly and in
dependent. was a splendid exposition OF
the issues before the coming Constitu-
tional Convention, and of his own views
in matters OF reform.
First in Importance ne regarded the
reform of the judiciary system and the
Looping off of unnecessary Offices. Mr..
Goode fayors a plan of circuit judges
somewhat similar to the system in vogue
in North Carolina, where the work OF the
county Judge and circuit jud.se< as at
present divided in Virginia, is combined
III ore Office.
one attorney for the Commonwealth
attends the court at its SittlnSS IN the
circuit and thus many Commemorative
attorneys can be disposed Of Mn Goo6e
would give Jurisdiction in misdemeanof
and similar cases to magistrates and
the number of these he would reduce. In
this way county judges could be obvlated
and the circuit judges have authority IN,
civil and criminal cases. MI Goode
would substitute a recorder for the clerk
OF the County Court with powers similar
TO those Of the recorder of deeds at
Washington.
SUFFRAGE. QUESTION.
MI Goodies views on the suffrage
question have already been given a |
length in The Times. He would pre-
scribe an education or property quail.
fication without regard to race. coioi
or previous condition of servltudc eN-
ceptinc. however, from its requirements
those and the descendants of those VINO
had taken arms in time of war in pro-
lection of their State. This arrangement
would bear judicial scrutiny, as the I.
s S,1preme- Court in the case OF Williams
vs. The State of Mississippi Gu. 5. Re-
rorts 1IW. had unanimously sustained
the Mississippi law. This would eililli-
nate from politics the Tenal, shittieSS
negro. and would put premium on
good citizenship When excellent ne
ecroes, of the old school, had collected
little property Mr.. Goode would submit
a small property qualification IN heu
of-an educational requirement, SO as not
to disffanchise them.
The trusts were also considered. ihe
SPEAKER did not deny the utility OF cor
pora tions when properly controlled, hu1
. aynyPSSpd
future when all the railroads would be
in one great combine as steel and iron
are to-day. Mr.. Gcode called attention to
the fact that one-half the entire money
of the land is controlled by the New York
banks and that the Standard Oil banks
control one-seventh OF all the circulating
media to say nothing of the power OF the
sugar, tobacco. coal leather and all the
other trusts. He is in favor of making
it mandatory upon the General Assembly
to enact laws forbddinG combinations of
persons, firms, associations and corpora
tions from placing restrictions upon trade
or monopolizing the production and sale
of merchandise or commodities In the
case Of the Waters-Pierce Co. US. the
State of TeNas, lit Z. S. Reports. the
United States Court has upheld the rights
of the State to make such regulations.
INCOME TAN.
Mr. Goode favors a capitation tax, an
income tax and general tax upon personal
and real property, and thinks d board Of
equalization should be appointed to resu-
late assessment in the different counties.
In regard to the division of taxes for
education purposes in proportion to the
amount paid in by each race, the speak
er.s advice was 'sgo slow" There are
legal and constitutional difficulties in the
way, even granting the education of the
negro had proved a failure. The attempt
had failed in North Carolina. being a vio-
laton of the Fourteenth Amendment. He
called attention to the fact that when
Virginia was admitted to the Union jan
nary 26. 1870. it was ON the specified con-
dition that it should not deprive or dis
criminate against negroes in school
rights Mr.. Goode said it, was best to
watch the suffrage clause and then let
tte General Assembly take steps later If
necessary.