Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-01-25
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

CONSTITUTIONS CONVENTION
Senator Carter Glass, of Lynch
burg, is among those members of t.,
Senate who are opposed to going int,
general Legislation at the extra session
Of the General Assembly.
Hon. George Y. HunIey, membe
of the House, from Mathews an,
Gloucester says that be did not thinl
any member of the State Legislature
ought to become candidate for del
gate to the Constitutional Conven
;ion. This is such an importan
matter that the people should be lef
free to make their own selections. 1
Is no time, in Mr.. Hunley's Judge
ment, for people to make persona
appeal 10 friends 10 vote for them.
In discussing what classes of mel
should be elected to the constitu
tional convention, the Charlotfesvill
ProqresS saws: at looks very wei
in print to speak of certain men whc
ought to be excluded from the con
vention, voluntarily standing asid,
out of considerations of delicacv anC
propriety. In these hustling, mod
ern times there are very few modes
politicians, and the people will ge
sadly left if they rely upon thos
men who ought to be excluded from
the convention modestly declining
to be candidates" Then our con
temporary goes on to express tn,
conviction that "the way to kee,
out of the constitutional convention
all who do not represent the maiorit,
sentiment in Virginia is for the vo
ters to decide not who want to rep
resent them, but whom they desir,
as representatives. Richmond Dis
patch.
THE CONVENTION OF 1851.
AS the time is near at hand for NJ
to elect delegates to the Consti tuition
al Convention, it recalls to mind tn,
convention of 1851, which was repre-
sented by as able body of men al
was ever assembled in any State o.
our Union. 1t was long tim,
before We could tell whether Rich
mohd, Alexandria or Fauquier hac
the ablest delegation. Alexandri.
district was represented by r. @. L
Moncure, of Stafford, Benone Il
Harrison, of Prince William, ant
Edgar Snowden, of Alexandria
Fauquier district by Robert E. Scott
the great man of Eastern Virginia
Samuel Chiffon and James French
Strother, of Rappahannock; Rich
mond district bv John Minor Bolts
James Lyons. Robert G. Scott, Johr
a. Meredith, X. @. Stanard and -
Davis. 1t was finally decided tha
Richmond had the largest and per
haps the;ablest delegation. We ar,
now upon the close of century an,
/ want to see how our next conven
ton compares with that of 1851
Culpepes- Corr. Free Lance.
( IN THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE.
(R:chmond Tsmes.>
Fear has been expressed from Ger
tam quarters that the forthcomin,
Constitutional Convention will b
dominated by an element opposed t,
constitutional reform. If SO il viii
be through the fault Of the voters
A majority of these voters have de
clared themselves in favor of consti
tutional revision, else why was tn,
convention called? 1t will cost th,
State good round sum IA quartz
of a million dollars at the lowestl t,
hold thisconvention and if the Consti
tuition is not TO be revised why shoul,
such a convention be callede Th
Tones has never believed it possibl,
through constitutional refcrm to re
duce the expense of government any
thing like to the extent claimed b,
those who have led the movement
But much of our system is old an,
antIquated and substantial change
can be made in the direction of econ
omy and a more efficient service
This is to say nothing of the ques
ton of suffrage.
We say if the convention shall fal
into the hands of those who are on
posed to reform it will be throuel
the fault of the voters, for the voter
select the delegates and they hay
the right to know in advance VIVA
the position of candidates is on thi
question. We think it would be i'll
advised for the voters to commi
their delegates to specific measures
but the voters should make it thei
business to know what is the gene
raj sentiment of the men whom the
shall choose to represent them i
the convention. No man should b
elected to that convention who ha
an axe to grind. or who has som
special interest of himself or other
to serve.
AN OLD SOLDIER WRITES.
EDITOR OF THE DIsPATcH:-Befor
the war, when negroes were slaves,
great deal of the country going {.
mill was done on horseback by tn
little white and colored chaps; and
in order that we might go and return
0niQklv there uae kapf Of tha mill