The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-05
T rlF. WORK OF THE CONVENTION.

SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 1902.
THE WORK OF THE CONVENTION.
The Constitutional Convention yesterday
practically completed its work. and the
ssc.Istitution is now all done except the
revision. And there IS joy among the
delegates. They have been here for near
IL ten months and have remained here
& Mt great personal Inconvenience and cost
md sacrifice They came here to do TIC
State a patriotic service, and they have
done st. They have labored increasingly
and unseltishiy, and they have framed a
good Constitution-the best, we believe
(: The State has ever had. The Constitution
I SIS not perfect, and no one understands
its defects better than its trainers. But
Virginia is 4 large State. with diverse
and conflicting interests. and in order
5 to make a Constitution for the whole
& State a compromise in many instances
was necessary.
This was especially the case, as all
know, with tho suffrage clause. This
clause is not entirely satisfactory to any
ElIfElc uclGSdlS,. llOIH even " 1ItcsS WV
made it. But after many earnest con-
ferences, after patient exchange OF views
between delegates. after hearing every
thing that could be suggested by press
and people. after canvassing the oues-
ton thoroughly, and. we may say, prayer
fully. the delegates finally concluded that
the compromise agreed upon was the best
that could be had We believe that the
great body Of white men in Virginia will
accent 1t in the spirit in which it was
Framed.
Our own opinion Is that the plan which
has been adopted will meet the emer-
Eency we believe that under it the OBJ
jcctionablc negro voters will be elimi-
mated, and that even after the under
standing feature has expired by limita-
! ton the prepayment of the poll tax ana
the education qualification will be quite
fnf1icient to keep these objectionable negro
xpoters out of our politics. There will then
be no pretext for dishonest elections in
Virginia, and we say with all reverence.
may the Good Lord forever deliver us
from this shame.
The convention has been severely criti--
ciscd for arbitrarily reducing the tax
rate from forty to thirty cents or the
one hundred dollars. AS an original prop
psifion The Times was opposed TO this
notion. and yet there is much to be said
In its favor The Committee on Finance
reported that by reduced expenses OF
S the one hand and Increased revenues on
the other it would be cntirelw practica-
BILE to reduce the rate OF taxation Dele
gate Withers and his associates. MO
have been fighting for a reduction III ccl-
peLscs and in taxation, logically argued
thnt if it was feasible TO reduce thr i,te
of taxation, then let the convention sil' ~
the courage Of its convictions and make
che reductions sure.
There was no escape from this logic.
. and by large majority the convention
voted with Mr.. NNithers We take this
: occasion to congratulate him and his as
sociates in all sincerity upon their splen-
did triumph.
Moreover, 1t was argued on the part
s of Mr.. Glass; Mr.. keezell and other cor
Sentative men that it was well enough
TO make this reduction imperative. and
so put the General Assembly on notice to
be economical in its appropriations. There
As no reason to believe that the public
service or the public credit will suffer
1,y reason Of this move in the interest Of
economy. BY this reduction the tax-pay-
ers will save in one year from four to
five times as much as the convention has
7,lishment and we believe that when the
people understand all the advantages and
benefits which they will receive from the
new Constitution they will instruct their
delegates 10 come back to Richmond in
May and proclaim this to be the organic
law of Virginia.