The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-08-27
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

In the convention Saturday protests
against state appropriations To any in
stitution not wholly under State control
were presented by Delegate Runaway,
from the Rappahannock Baptist Associa
ton and the Methodist ministers Of Rich
mOnd, and by Delegate Campbell
from the Lebanon Baptist Association.
The committee has decided To recon-
mend that no aspiration be made for the
| support of any educational Institution
not under the entire control of the State,
with the exception Of William and Mary
College.
The feature of Fridays proceedings
| that created most interest was the re-
port Of the auditor Of public accounts Of
| the disbursement of the civil contingent
| fund in the hands of the governors Of
| Virginia for the past twenty years. The
| package made n very imposing roll, and
was eyed curiOusly and even hnngrily by
the newspaper men, but they were not
allowed near it. II was presented to the
| convention through the chairman and
referred To the committee on executive
department without discussion. 1T IL
said that the committee IL fully satisfied
| with the evidence already adduced that
| the civil contingent fund tx larger than
necessary, and that il will recommend
that il be- - 900 hereafter instead OF
| so 900
The committee on Suffrage is probably
nearer agreeing upon n plan now than
| at any time since its organization. Sen
| ator Daniel has ascheme, with an under
standing or intelligence clause ~ n basis,
| which il Less Objectionable than any OF
this character yet submitted. IL pro-
yides that no one shall vote unless he
| has sufficient intelligence to understand
the duties Of citizenship and to read n
section Of the Constitution. The real
feature Of the plan, though, il that its
operations are To be limited to the brief
est period possible. say 30 or go days.
| This il expected TO give sufficient time to
cnable the names of all Of the illiterate
| whites of the different sections TO be put
| on the books After the lapse OF that
time that part Of the plan becomes in
! operative. and then no person IL allowed
| 10 vote unless he owns, say, $500 IN
| property and pays capitation tax OF
| 81 80 The representatives Of the black
| belts are disposed to accept this plan.
| The strongest recommendation it has IL
| that it does not give the qualifying ad-
minstrative boards any power after the
| short time mentioned.
Mr.. O'F'laherty, Of Warren, opened the
debate in opposition to prOclaiming the
new Constitution. Capt. Parks replied .
| II shall favor the submission Of the Con
| stitutiOn to an electorate created by this
convention. and to that extent shall
vote 10 proclaim il. Great applause
| When Thomas Jefferson wrote all men
are created equal he referred to the Arian
| race and never dreamed of negroes. My
old black nanny, at her request, was
| buried by me at the foot of my mother
grave in our family graveyard, aud
| have feelings Of charity, and not hate.
| for the race but never will admit that
| Africans here or anywhere else are
equals of white men in governing white
| men or framing Constitutions (Ap-
| plause.) He said he wished some Moses
could appear and with his wand strike
| back the waters Of the Red Sea OF the
| Fifteenth Amendment. 80 that the chill
dren Of Israel in the political wilderness
could walk through it dry shOd. IL
sometimes seems that the best days OF
the Republic have passed. Under the
present order OF things the time must
soon come when the people will have no
respect whatever for their officials elected
| under such conditions, and with the loss
of respect for authority goes the love Of
| patriotism. "l'nless the present electO-
rate il purged and improved our sons
| will be targets yet for all forms OF an
archy. fanaticism and fetichism, he con
| cluded