Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-04-04
OUR NEW CONSTITUTION.

At last our State convention has
agreed on suffrage plank. This is
very gratifying, and 1t ought to have
been done some months ago. This. to
our mind, WAS one of the easiest of the
many perplexing problems before that
body. Educational and property quail
ifications were anticipated, in fact de-
and now that they have been
agreed to shows that they might have
been agreed to long since.
The clause is slightly tainted with |
the grandfather faint, but only slight
iY, and but for this is all right. The
work of the convention is therefore |
nearly done, and we trust that there |
will be proclamation OF it made and
the public mind set at rest about it at
once. We have heard persons say it
would be in bad faith to proclaim it
after lhe utterance of the Norfolk
convention. They argue that the Nor
folk convention promised vote on 1t,
that it promised no white man should
be DISTINGUISHED, and under that prom
Use persons had voted for convention
because they supposed they would have
a chance to pass on the work OF the
convention at the polls. This Is very
specious argument, but it comes more
from those who would oppose any
thing the Democrats would do than
from any other source. The Norfolk
convention may have said all that is
accredited to it, but if it did it had
no more to do with binding the franz
ers of that constitution in the matter
OF proclaiming that constitution, than
it had in prescribing the hotel at
which they should stop in Richmond.
Often persons NEEDLE with affairs over
which they have no control. This is a
case. Must we therefore spend large
sum of money in holding an election,
place the State in political paroxism
as we would if the constitution is sub
mitted to vote of the people? We
have had enough of this. The men
who framed that constitution know
about as we'll what is good for the
State as the ones who staid at home,
they and we are opposed to doing the
work that has been done and then allow
it to be damned by Republican office
holders and hOwlers and government
clerks, and all the various elements
who think they know, or assume to,
all about what the people want, or the
country must have. The Crumpacker
resolutions, which are all attack on the
South, if nothing else, ought to at
once settle the question as to whether
the white people of Virginia are going
to assert themselves or allow the State
to be run by clique Of political fault
finders in Washington, aided by the
negroes of the State, it ought to show
ali persons of the Crumpacker stripe
that we are going to wipe off our STA
tute books an odious political docu-
ment crammed down our throats in
the.reconstruction period, the work Of
q lot of scalawags and negroes, and
put in It's place document framed for
Virginia by her own white sons. We
hope this will be done, and done with
out apology to any party, or any
power.
President Roosevelt is going to
Charleston, s. c., on Monday to see
the exposition. What he ought to
have done after his gratuitous insult
to Senator Tlllman, was to have staid
away-let sickness or a press of Off
cial business precluded the possibility.
But no, Teddy Is going, he Is expect
ing good time, and he may have it.
Charleston people will surprise us,
however, If they gush very much over
the man who dimes with Booker Wash
ington, and who goes out of his way
to insult one of the representatives Of
South Carolina in the Senate. We
hope this insult to Tillman will not be
forgotten by the whole people of South
Carolina, If some do, for it was the
most uncalled for bit Of illmanners we
have ever seen a man who ought
to have good breeding, exhibit.
Judging from the promptness and
persistency with which President
Roosevelt and Secretary Root overrule
every suggestion Of Gen. Miles with
reference to all military affairs, we
conclude that Gen. Miles is either a
very poor military genius, or that
President Roosevelt and Secretary of
Root are very excellent ones.
Senator Hanna has written a letter
telling his friends not to consider him
q candidate for the Presidential NOM
ination, but this don't mean anything.
The Honorable Theodore would feel
easier If Senator Hanna were removed
from this terrestrial globe.
Medley, Rathbone and others, who
robbed SO industriously in Cuba when
In charge of postal affairs down there,
have had good stout sentences melted
out them by Cuban court. and they
will have the pleasure of serving them
out. The hardest money to enjoy is
stolen money.
John Rutherford and VIM. Watts,
two men over in West Virginia, who
for hundred dollars reward undertook
the arrest of Eph Hatfield last week,
are entitled to the money. which will
possibly be expended in funeral ex-
penses. They had no doctors bills,
Silver dollars will beat both the flag
an6 the constitution to the Philippines.