The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-17
VIEWS OF TIMES READERS
ON QUESTIONS OF The DAY
Discussion Of the Constitution and Amendments
Thereto-The Pardoning PoWer-Enfran-
chisine the Mhites-ndan
Reservations.
Reservations.
TOPICS OF GENERAL INTEREST.

We draw 40 nvidiors distinction when
we say 10 MIN take your own money to
educate you. own children and we Will
do likewise. THIS is not class legisa-
ton; it males no legal distinction of
races: il gives him every dollar of his
money and does not rob him OF a farth-
ing. AS to the application of her taxes
in this respec: the power of Virginia IS
as supreme as ii is over the law OF mar
TiaGe II is Cre of the powers not dele
gated to the general government. Now
what would be the result? The white
schools could he run full nine months
each year and our teachers could be paid
at least foGy dollars a month without
raising the taxation a single cent. 1t
would give i higher grade of instruction
ana Il far better class of teachers. This
would be of iuestimable benefit to the
white people Would il not be unjust
and wrong upon principle to deprive the
white people of this great benefit? Haze
We the moral right TO take away from
them incif' OWN money and apply il TO
he education al an alien race? ! think
not The Underwood Constitution, as is
well known, DISTINGUISHED many of or
Very best people and we were saved only
By The maGu"fimity of General Ulysses
S. Grant IN allowing us 60 vote Sepa-
ratclX upon certain clauses It is Il fact
that siXty-IWU thousand negroes in Viz
Ginia voted fot these DISTINGUISHING
clauses and u'iI about nine hundred and
tlirty-cSht against them. IT will thus
he shown What they would have done
with il if iney had had the power What
moral right is there which requires us to
support any part Of The Constitution
which WIS fastened upon us by the CLEAN
of In" taynnetI What are soma OF tho
results of lie Underwood Constitution?
las not ImGcr the new regime A loati}-
some and obominable crime sprung up
which is lrmentionable become SO COM
mon as we'll nigh 10 staCgc,. humanity
and create . revolution? Have not an
immense majority Of the negroes for
more than quarter Of "a century voted
tor men ana measures opposed 10 the
best interests OF the white people? Who
can deny it, Ii is the truth OF his
tory When they held sway in the colrn-
lies where they had 1t majority did not
the land materially decrease in value
Arc not the broom sage fields the bro
ilen-down fences, the impoverished land
even now Of these counties mute but
eloquent testimonials Of the blasting the
whitening effect of negro suffrage? Has
not every Southern State which has
mace a neSF constitution entered at once
upon splendid career of prosperity? Ex-
paTience and observation are the great
est of all teachers. They have demon
stlated with mathematical certainty that
under the prcsen! school system the ne
gro has not risen in tiie. scale of life We
do not need to go to Hayti to find the
truth. We can find it at home These
considerations lead me to the conclusion
that ii Will lie ths duty of the ConStitu-
tional Convention TO devote the money
arising from Tie taxation of the white
people eNclLs'ivcI" to the education Of the
white children. and the money Of the
negroes exclusively to the education Of
the negro children. Let us meet the
question il Il fair and manly manner.
The Judgment of no representative
should be clcudoG Dv u maudlin symna-
Thy which Noaid make him vote against
this action which is right in Law. right in
morals right in religion aud will be right
in practice C'AAfM- P4ATTESON.
Sunnvside Flaee Buckingham county,
Va. March il 1901.