Evening star., 1902-03-19
TO PROCLAIM CONSTITUTION.
This is the Present Outlook in Virginia
Convention.
Special Dispatch to The, Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
RICHMOND, Va, March 19.-The con-
stitutional convention is nearing the end of
it's work. but is still wrestling with the
vexed suffrage question. which has engaged
more or less attention from the first day OF
the assembling Of the body, nine months
ago The more sanguine are hopeful Of ad
journment this week. and it seems almost
certain that the convention will take re-
cess before the end of,the month. reconven-
ing when the commiftee on final revision
shall have done it's work - ,,-,..
Then the convention Will reassemble,
adopt the finished work, and determine
whether the new constitution is to be pro-
claimed or submitted to the suffragans for
ratification. Sentiment In favor Of procla
nation is every day growing, and 1t is be-
lieved that when the members shall have
gone home and sounded the sentiment of
their constituents. they will return here
and promptly proclaim the new organic
law of the state.
The convention proper is doing little or
nothing these days, the sessions daily be-
ing half hour sttngs, followed by adjourn
ment and meetings of the democratic con-
port Of the committee on elective fran
chise, qualifications for Office, &c, COM
monty known as the suffrage committee. is
all that the body now awaits before COM
pleting its work and finally adjourning.
The suffrage. committee was In session
yesterday trying to harmonize the varying
views and secure agreement on some clause
that will insure practically white electo-
rate without contrayention of the federal
Constitution. That is the problem. but
there are dozen plans not one of which
can win the approval Of a majority of the
members.
Yesterday afternoon the suffrage COM
mittee met, and after a brief session ad-
journed on motion of Mr.. Watson. one of
the advocates of the majority or Thorn
plan. He stated as a reason for moving
that the committee rise that there was
every probability that a compromise of the
conflicting views would be reached this
evening. That compromise contemplates
the extension of the application of the un-
derstanding clause until January 1, 1908,
instead of 1903, as provided in the minority
or Daniel-Glass plan. 1t Is understood that
this extension win be acceptable to the ad-
vocates of the majority report OF the COM
mittee, who have all along stood pat for a
permanent understanding clause, which the
minority of the committee as fatty reject
ed. With this agreement formally accept
ed, the solution Of the problem will have
been reached.
The plan to be adopted by the convention
as the new suffrage law OF the state would
be In outline about as follows: An under
standing clause operative until 1908; the
prepayment of the poll tax without alter
native; a property qualification limiting
suffrage to those who pay taxes on prop
erty to the value Of 5000. or whose wife
does; with these exempted from the opera
ton of this property qualification-the son
of parent paying taxes on 500 of prop
erty, a soldier in any Of the wars Of the
country or the son or grandson OF SOL
dier-that is to say, man who owns 500
worth of property or whose wife owns that
amount, or the son of a man or woman
owning that much, may vote. A soldier or
the son of a soldier or the grandson of a
soldier may vote, whether he or his parents
own any property or not.