The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-15

ssss1.1a1 lss1s
cotton mill trust 81 being organized This his,
will give the sensat ional writer's g me:
Iopportunity to spin yarns
INltTHE GONSTlTUT lONs
What the Pressso the State Has to Say
on the SupJe
The Norfolk Ledger thinks that there
Is. a growing sentiment in favor OF pro.
Gaming tho constltution.s8lt says
we can enunerate several recent puD-
lications in tie Sta tcs tina Indicate that
sucnz a cnange IS going ons in pubic
cIiirnenu as was stated by u.s. one was
q rubucation made by az Richmond cor
resto1:aent that business men I'M he
southwest &we1c urging that the Constr
tuition &c prociaiIned, another was a @puo--{
,;cal,on in one OF our State exchanges
S taring that q movementsWas IN spIosIecsss
in Augusta county looking to the. ho1dins
of a mass meeting to instruct thsS uele-ss
gate from that county to- vote III favor s1
OF procla.nins the new instrument, t'ie
;nird was contained in an editorial III
The Richmond Times, which stated thaI
TIC County Democratic Comrnlttee OF
Prince William, by a+prac ticaliys% ullstlA77
nous vote, had declared against the SUD.
mission OF the Constitution to the Vote
OF the people, and had requested s. h ea
delegate IN the convention to vote Aot
proclamation, and the fourth was lils az ~
iioil Of the Butts Road Democrats, OIL
Norfolk county,Slast Monday, when tney
adouted resolutions along the same me,
which were published in the Virglnlan-
l'iiot this morning, the concluding p or-
ton Of the last resolution being Ii these :!
Nvorus S: We know tina t the new consul
tuition has been framel by able men, WIZ 'ii
Know What wei need to free us. from pollt-
ical COZ ruption, ard, therefore, we Wish
It proclaimed and put in effect as speed
ily-ls 5practica bic. And we wantEto re-
turn thanks to the trainers Of the new
Constitution and the electorate. SO Tar
us these Norfolk county resolutions IL .
concerned, we are satisfied that they re-
ncct the overwhelming sentiment OF the
Democrats Of that county-the men who
favored the calling Of a convention, When
the most prominent officials Of county
were using every effort to prevent one
from being called. We rather adhere 70
the opinion previously expressed that
public sentiment is cryStaHzlnG ln.I!he
direction that we stated. and We thlnk
that the Dispatch will find, by the time
that the convention reassembles, that we
have made no mistake in this matter.
First Constitution FFOCidiltlSu'
Tho Norfolk Landmark says:
Speaking of the prospect OF the Proc
lamation of the new Constitution IN Viz
ginia, the Philadelphia Record llnoes
pendent DemocraD remarks -,
..Should this course be pursued 1t VIII
sho a most remarkable departure from
The consent of the governed principe
and from Jerersonian ideas OF rlshtful
political procedure.
Our contemporary is evidently unaware
TINT the FIRST Constitutional Convention
1,eId in Virginia proclaimed its work, a
mart of which was done by Thomas
Jefferson's own hand. So far as we
know Mr. Jefferson never uttered a syl-
liable Of protest against proclamation,
which was accomplished by unanimous
vote Jefferson, though selected to the
convention from Albemarle county. was
unable to attend the sessions i'll person
because engaged in the national councils,
but he was represented in the convention
by alternates.
One or the Other.
We have taken the position that the
new instrument must either be pro-
claimed or submitted TO the whole people.
With all due respect to Mr.. Carter Glass,
the Democratic pledge is to submit l. 10
all the people. The Democratic Convea-
ton. in which the idea of new >-o1sSti-
tuition was born, said so; the Democfatic
LEGISLATURE which ordered the conNeh-
ton. said so. Indeed how could we 1alf-
w do ANYTHING else? Can we proclaim d
norton Of the Constitution and SubH,'
that which remains? Never, CONSISTENT
lv. Every man in Virginia VINO mas q
vote in any election has full right 70 Vote
at eyeryIelection il the State until ne Is
disfranchised by the new Constitution
coming into full force and virtue by pro
c1amation or by ratification of the PEG
Mo IF the convention proclalms one
section. let it proclaim all. Otherwise
submit tit the whole people and 1oi4o"
out the pledge of the party we caliio'
sanction a straddle.-Leesburs Mirror.
Sentiment Should be Ascertained
The Constitutional Convention Wi!
mint and distribute ten to twenty-five
thousand copies of the new Constitution
so that the people may see Just Wha'
has been done by that body and TORN
some opinion as to whether they WISH
the new instrument or prefer the old
We hope the convention will be liberia
in the number printed, so that there may
be no excuse for ignorance or the pro
visions of the document. After TINS ma
been done, the people should be thorough
Nv c2nyaSSed as 10 llAcil y
gard to the steps to be taken to ADOPT tht
new Constitution From our association
with the people, we believe they are
ready today to have the new Constitu
ton go into effect, and to have it pro pro
claimed by the convention. This sentl
ment is not confined to Democrats, hu
there are Republicans who hold to TIT
same views. Thoughtful Republican,
cannot but admit the superiority OF tn
new over the old, and they have no very
serious objections to seeing 1t become
operatives taunton News.
"Afraid to Submit
The convention is aware OF the lac
that the people are more than anxious
TO get a whack at the new instrument
No Constitution has ever been delea'eS
in Virginia, and the convention mas ~
aosira to win the singular distinction
,-;,r ;+a work repudiated We fear j