The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-28
CfDUR SPEECHES
on Main QUESTION
filsssrs. Moore and Pedigo for
Submission.
[ III. CART Err AND il Or. 10 Du I! ma
1hey Strongly Urge Proclamation
Thom May Speak To-Day-Mr.
Thornton's Interesting Res
olution Went Oven
nR. CAR TER AND Of. DUNAVAY.

convention A number Of members were
1 present for the first time since the re-
cess.
The Final Revision Committee held q
: meeting in the interim between the two
! sessions OF Of tho convention. The chief
matter decided was to alloy county
4 Judges and Judges OF corporation courts
an the smaller cities to continue ~Ae
practice Of law until the end Of their
; terms under tho new Constitution
!. NfesHs. r Walton Moore Dem.) and
), RediGo Rep.> spoke yesterday in favor
pf submission to the present electorate.
j and Messrs. Carter ard Dunaway made
: speeches for proclamation.
The body will meet at 10 o'clock to-
day, when It is likely that Mr.. Thorn will
speak Tor submission.
DAY IN DETAIL
The roll-call disclosed the presence of
sixty-fire members, and the journal OF
D the previous days proceedings was read
and approved.
Mr. Thornton offered a resolution call
ting on the Court Of Appeals of tha
State to give Its opinion as to the au-
8 thority of the convention to proclaim
ITS work
Mr.. wescott inquired if it was the
opinion of the member from Prince
Z William that the court would consider
moot question. Mr.. Thornton thought
1t would, and the resolution went over
without action:
Mr.. Blair presented a petition in rela-
ton to the terms Of the clerks of the
courts Of Wythe county. and it was re-
ferred.
MR. PEDIGo SPEAKS
The roui1n., work of the morning hour
having been disposed of, Mr.. Pedigo
(Rep.) OF Henry. took the floor and read
a carefully prepared argument in favor
Z of Ni,f>y fi,oO hol f,1fio RI
the present electorate for ratification or
rejection.
The speech was called one in favor of
submission. but 1t was indeed a bitter
arraignment of the entire new consttu-
ton, seation by section, and an every
speech, which bristled throughout with
angry thrusts at the Democratic party
and political conditions in Virginia and
the South.
FRAUD IS CHARGED.
He charged fraud and duplicity against
the Democratic party in the matter OF
calling the convention. and said the YER
dict at the polls was frandulently OBJ
tained. He made his stock charge that
there had not been fair election in the
State fer many years; and although he
spoke for thirty minutes, he only casu-
ally referred to the main question at is
sue. The speech fell like a biting No
7. YeIuOeI 1IOSL upon MS COlledSueS,. ana
when he had concluded and returned to
his seat not even a Republican member
offered any semb1ance of approval.
When Mr.. Pedigo concluded, Mr.. r.
walton Moore was recognized, and pro-
cecded to deliver an able and eloquent
argument in favor of submission to the
present electorate.
FOR THE INSTRUMENT.
He prefaced his remarks with pretty
tribute to the Constitution and the men
who had made It, and declared that he
was neither against the former. nor did
he have any quarrel with those who held
to the opposite view as TO disposing of
the instrument
Ha said the issue was grave one, and
that in his judgment the question of
proclamation was fraught with serious po-
Utica, and judicial complications Mr..
Moore commended ably that precedents
were in favor of submission and against
proclamation and then ne passed to the
act Of the Legislature calling the con-
vention into being. and he declared that
At was clearly in favor of submission and
was both valid and binding upon the con-
Nsntion- He proceeded in a. most elo-
+ nuent manner to argue for the validity
and the binding force Of the aforesaid
Legislative act, and was engaged by Mr..
Meredith in a brief colloquy on the SUBJ
5ect-
AS TO IT'S VALIDITY.
Preceding. Mr.. Moore declared that the
whole legal question hinged on the
validity Of the legislative act, and he
contended IN strong and eioqnent Lam
I 1uage that the act was valid though
he was several times engaged by Messrs.
+ Meredith and Walker with questions on
the subject.
tho speaker, which may jeopardize all
our splendid work here. and set at
naught a Constitution which we believe
to be one worthy Of any great people,
MT. Moore then discussed briefly party
pledges on the subject. and wound up
with . beautiful perorahon in which he
declared that should the instrument be
submitted he would do all in his power
tc see that It was adopted, and predict
ed FOR It an overwhelmingly victory
A storm OF applause swept over the
hall as the young leader uttered his last
word and bowed his thanks to his col
leagues.
MIR CARTER SPEAKS.
In moment there was absolute ST.
1ence. and the able member from Han.
over. Mr.. Carter, WEB seen vending his
proclamation, and he performed his part
with the e1oquence and ability which
characterizes all his public utterances.
Mr.. Carter sprinkled his remarks with
bits of humor. for which he is famous.
and which greatly amused his colleagues
He attacked the weak points in the
speeches of those who had spoken on
the other side. and claimed that most
OF them had admitted the right of the.
convention to proclaim.
The speaker took up the legislative act
and declared that after the call had been
ratified by the people, that the right OF
! the convention Hereunder to proclaim
was clear, whether the Constitution now
In force said anything on the subject or
not But he called attention to the cons
etitutional provision and construed the
language. Revise the Constitution and
amend the same" to mean the making
OF Constitution by the convention Put
ting the constitutional provision with the
call by the Legislature and the subse-
quent ratification OF the latter by the.
people, the speaker contended that there
could be no question as to the authority
OF the convention to proclaim.
MET ALL COMERS.
Messrs. Thorn. Moore. OF Fairfax:
wysor and Robertson fired questions at
the member from Hanover, but he ah-
ala>~. 49, rec3