The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-28

vate citizen with no political ambition.
TO crafty. but most earnestly Interested
i'll the welfare OF my State, L shall ex-
press them without reserve, yet With no
Keeling of infallibility.
did not favor the calling OF a con-
ycation. have never sympathizcd with
the denunciation which has Frequent!
been hcapcd upon the present Consttu-
ton; ] have never been able to see in 1t
the evils that others have seen; have
never observed the wrongs in it that
others have dccricd. 1t is in large part
the same Constitution that was framed
by the convention Of 1851. 1t abolished
District Courts; it substituted county
court judges for the old benches OF JUS
tees; it made the judiciary elective by
the Legislature instead of by the people.
it created the Office of treasurer in each
county and made him the collector of
taxes instead OF the sheriff; it created
boards of supervisors as the fiscal agents
of counties instead of the Justices. IT
established a public free school system
it proved for "a homestead exemption;
it made any person entitled to vote
eligible to any office without regard to
age: it reduced the time of residence
necessary to qualify person TO vote.
from two years IN the state and one year
in any county, city or town, to one year
in the State and three months IN any
election it disfranchised and disquall-
fed from holding Office all participants
in a duel. 1t provided that no tax should
be imposed on any of the citizens OF the
State for the privilege Of taxing or
catching oysters from their natural Deus
with tongs in The waters thereof, put d
tax on the sales of oysters might be M
posed: that no debt should be contracted
w this State eXCept to meet casual de
ficits in the revenue, to redeem Il pre-
vious liability Of the State, to suppress
instruction. repel invasion, or ucieIiu
the State in time of war that the
State should not be a party to or be-
come interested in any work OF internal
Improvement, nor engage in carrying on
any such work otherwise than in the
expenditure of grants to the state OF
land or property: that every law I'M
posing continuing or reviviES a tax
should distinctly state the tax ana the
object TO which it is to be applied, ana
it should not be sufficient to refer 10
any other law to fix such tax or object;
that the State should not assume amy
indebtedness of the county, borough or
city. nor lend its credit TO the same
It provided for the payment Of a capita
ton tax before the day OF election as
a prerequisite to the right to vote
These are substantially ard virtually
all the changes that We're made in the
Constitution of 1881, and all provisions
added thereto by the Constitution adopt
ed by, what was know as The Under
wood Convention that remain now, eN-
cept the recognition of the colored man
as "a voter which WAS simply putting
into effect the fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments of the Constitution of the
United States and which We're sequences
of the war between the States.
The same Bill OF Rights adopted by
The convention of 1851 was made Article
l. OF the present Constitution with no
| change or addition, except such as was
rendered necessary by the results OF "a:'
and by Acts of Congress.
WITH this statement of facts. can it be
| successfully charged that we are living
under IAN iniquitous Constitution?
! What is there in ii that is ''inidultous.
! or .ado1n:nab!e?" ii is true it was
| framed By a convention q majority Oh
| shich was composed of men who were
! bagcers as it came from their
| hands it disfranchised and disqualified
! thousands Of Virgiria'S truest ana
| noblsst sons. and in this respect was
! in;quitous;'' but these disfranchslhE
| and disgualifying clauses We're etiiill-
| mated from it nearly generation ago,
| and before the State was readnitted into
| IL. Union As the Constitution stands
| to-day. in what respect is it so objection
| !ble as to justify the appeal that mas
| ,sen made to the people 10 rise in Their
| lni..ft and throw off the CALLING yoke:
| .ias not this appeal been TO the passions,
! -ather than to the Judgment and reason
ii the people? Where is the yoke?
Whose neck is CALLED? VIII it be said
| ;hat negro suffrage is the YOKE that
| S chaiiue Irritating and harrassin3? Ii
| 20, ] reply. that negro suffrage was M
| ,oseJ bv the Constitution Of the United
/ 5t;Iies and if il can ,c abolished OF
| restricted legally and consttutionally II
i ,.as not necessary to call 1t convention
| "a do il: i, could have been done by an
| amendment submitted by the LeSlsla-
| ture. In fact any change which 1!.igh'
| nave been desired could have been &C
| romplist,ed by amendment without eN-
| ;ense. while q convention will cost not
| .ess than five hundred dollars q day OF
! ifteen thousand dollars Il month loi
| yerv day or month it may be in session
But whether the call OF Il convention
! was unWise or not, juSti1:ahie or not, we
| viii have il, and no citizen will do his
| iutv to his State ANA 20 himself il ne
| Toes not take Il lively interest III INC
| selection of delegates TO this angus IS
| emily. No more important work coult
! be entrusted - any NT. OF men lhh
| the formation of Il State Convention, ant
| only the ablest. calmest, ana most con
| ,eryatiye and diScrec: men should be com
| .,issionaN am loyii 10 my ir;-hds
| snd Will favor them whenever ] can dt
| SO consistently and property put
| would vote for my bittsrest foe over my
| best friend il / believed my foe was bet
| ter qualified 10 assist in framing Con
! stitulion than my friend.