The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-03-14
(Communicated)
TIE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
Democratic Worker" wants TO Know the
Views OF Candidates.

Caroline county, Va. March ! /, 1901.
| To THE FREE Lance:
saw in your paper Of March Ith
long article advocating Hon. +. 4.
Moncure "a candidate for the Consti-
tutional Convention, signed &" Democrat g,
also another article oi.some length IN
your issue Of March 9th, advocating the
same candidate, signed Farmer, and !
also saw in last week x" Caroline News,
under the head Of Local Notes, that
the Judge after mature consideration
had yielded To certain pressure and con
sented To be candidate. This last Is
reallynO news n his candidacy has been
known and discussed To some extent for
several months
Now, il is not my purpose in this writ
ing to criticise anything that has been
said in eulogy Of Judge Moncure. on the
contrary | want To say that am sure
the people of Caroline recognize his
ability and appreciate his Christian
virtues. From the fact that he was for
"A number of years our Commemorative
Attorney. and has been our County Judge
for more than fifteen years, it seems very
evident that the people place high
value on his services. But from the very
fact that he has been an ofice-hOlder in
the county 80 long. together with the
fact that he has been aspiring To other
things during his term Of office, and con
sidering the very strong and decided
sentiment in this county and through
the State generally against sending
Oiiice-hOlders To the Convention, | have
thought his candidacy would not be as
iayorably received by the people as some
of his admirers might wish.
Now, the ofiice-holding record OF the
Judge, along with theiact that, though
he may have been apro-convention man.
he was at least opposed to making the
matter a party issue rather tends To
make against him in this fight. How
ever much these matters weigh agalnt
the Judge, under some conditions he may
yet be- formidable candidate for the
position. But the point | wish to make
in writing this letter is that, had
Democrat" and farmer" " taken
the pains to get some expression
from the Judge a. to his views
on the suffrage and other questions to
be dealt with by the Convention and
put them before the readers Of your pa
per the people Of Caroline would then be
in a position TO decide the question ofhis
nomination. There are great questions
TO be decided by the Convention, which
shall make no attempt here To discuss,
and it will take votes in the Convention
TO decide them, and the people of Caro-
line. If | mistake not, wish to be repre-
sented by man whose views they are
we'll acquainted with before they go
through the act OF electing him. A man
may beever 80 wise, learned and yirtuOus,
and still not be the man the people want.
We need one who Will reflect the wishes
Of the people, and not one who knows
better what the people want than they
do themselves. Now, "a voter and a
worker of the Democratic party and in
behalf OF the people in the county, ask
that Judge Moncure and Others whomay
hereafter announce their candidacy, will
give their views on some of the more inn
portant questions to be dealt with by
the Convention before asking or expect
ing the support of the people We don't
propose to go it blind in this most i'm
portant election of all. No, mot il the
court knows itself. and think it does.
noro ocro tfc Worlqr