Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-10-06
"BENEFicENT DEsPOTIs1."

Some of the Democratic papers in Viz
GINA are making great to do over that
sentence in Judge Parker's letter of ac-
ceptance:
'sShall we cling to the rule of the peo-
pie, or sbal we embrace benefce2t des-
potism ?"
If there are any persons in the world
who are disqualified to speak spprovingly
of that sentiment it is the Virginia
Democracy. The rule of the people has
never been more completely ignored and
outraged anywhere than it has been in
Virginia by the party which calls itself
Democratic. This was done in that most
important of all work, the making of a
new constitution. Governor Montague,
while Attorney General of Virginia, Trote
a letter on the 21st of April, 1900, which
was published in the Norfolk Virginian-
Pilot. In that letter he said:
''But consider the making OF a consti-
tuition the highest expression of sovereign
power, and, therefore, l think tina. tie
work of the contemplated convention
ehould be submitted to the people for rat
i6catiou OF rejection. And l will favor no
plan which will take from the people the
right to pass upon the adoption or rejec-
ton Of Constitution.
1.-THE very genius of free government,
in my opinion, requires such submission.
can perceive no reason for departing
from the wise and just precedents of the
fathers or from the fundamental principle
underlying the making of all COnstltu'
tons, by giving TO any convention the
right to make Constitution without sub
uniting it TO the people for rattle alton or
rejection"
Subsequent to the writing and publica-
ton Of this letter, by the then chief law
officer of the State and the now Chief Ex-
ecutive of the Commonwealth, the Vir-
Qinia Democrats held State convention
at Norfolk. At that convention the Hon.
Carter Glass prepared the following resolu-
tons which were adopted as a part Of the
platform of the party:
'Resolved, That the Democratic party
of Virginia, in convention assembled, en-
dorses the action of the General Assembly,
and earnestly urges the people Of Virginia
70 vote on the fourth Thursday in May for
calling constitutional convention.
"Resolved, That it is the sense Of this
convention that in framing a constitution
no effort should be made to disfranchise
any citizen of Virginia who had right to
yote prior to 1861, nor the descendant Of
any such person, and that when such a
constitution shall have been framed, it
shall be submitted to vote of the people
for ratification or rejection"
MIR. Glass, in bis paper, the Lynchburg
News, on the 9th of May, 1900, asserted
that the above resolution was an unquali-
fed declaration of the Convention in ia
yor of submitting the new constitution to
the popular vote for ratification or rejec-
ton"
This wss followed by an election to de-
termine whether a constitutional conven-
tion should be called. The Democrats in
their resolutions at Norfolk had declared
that sit is the evident desire of the white
people of Virginia to amend and revise
fhe present Constitution. But at the
election held on the fourth Thursday in
May, 1900, the great white counties of the
State voted against calling convention,
and the Democratic machine manipulated
the negro votes in the negro counties so as
10 give majority for their scheme Of call
ing the convention.
Then the General Assembly of Virginia
passed an act authorizing and directing
that delegates be elected to a constitu-
tional convention. The Act was made to
conform to the pledge made by the Nor
folk platform and required that the new
Constitution when framed should be SUBJ
mitted to the people for ratification or re-
rejection.
The constitutional Convention assem-
bled. II was completely dominated by
the Democrats, and at the first step
showed it's purpose of violating every
pledge made by the Democracy with re-
gard to the making of a constitution. The
majority of the members Of the Conven-
ton decided that the members should
take no oath. This was done SO that they
could refuse 10 comply with the require.
ment Of the Act Of the General Assembly q