Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-03-23

VINO nave formed themselves lhVo per
manent association to meet annually
and recall how they violated the conf
dence of the masses and put the stigma
of perfdy on the Democratic party in
Virginia.
Was the convention an able body =? 1t
took year or more of time and cost the
State half million of dollars to fashion
the most complex and lengthy written
constitution than exists, constitution
that is more partisan than patriotic.
If there was any ability displayed it was
chiefly directed to so framing the suf-
frage laws as to turn the masses of the
people away from the ballot box and
establish partisan oligarchy in Vir-
ginia.
Was the convention patriotic body?
The debates disclose the fact that the
chief concern Of the leaders was to
frame constitution that would perpet-
uate the power of the Democratic party
in the State.
Was the convention a conscientious
body of men? They refused to take an
oath to perform the duties of represen-
tatives of the people. They claimed
they were the sovereign power and that
the people had nothing to do with or
say about the making of constitution.
They resolved themselves into band
of usurpers, cast conscience aside and
made constitution they were afraid or
unwilling to submit to the people. Was
that an honest or conscientious dis
charge of representative duty! Govern
or Montague was one of the honored
guests and prominent speakers at the
reunion gathering held at Richmond on
the 10th inst. Did he tell the men who
made the constitution that they had
done their work honestly and conscien-
tiously? He once said:
81 consider the making of a Constitu-
ton the highest expression of sovereign
power, and, therefore, think that the
work of ,the contemplated convention
should be submitted to the people for
ratification or rejection. And l will IA
vor no plan which will take from the
people the right to pass upon the adop-
ton or rejection of a constitution.
1.-THE very genius of free government,
in my opinion, requires such a submis-
sission. / can perceive no reason for
departing from the wise and just pre-
cendents of the fathers, or from the
fundamental principle underlying the
making of all constitutions, by giving
to any convention the right to make a
constitution without submitting it to
the people for ratification or rejection. &"
After these views expressed by Mr..
Montague, and held or expressed by all
the leading Democrats in the State, the
the Democratic party, in convention at
Norfolk, in its platform, pledged that
the new constitution should be submit
ted to the people. This was followed by
the Democratic Legislature requiring in
the Act which provided for holding a
constitutional convention that the con-
stitution when made should be submit
ted to the people.
Y So, these men who are now called pa
triots violated the precedents of the
fathers and the fundamental principles
underlying the making of all constitu-
tons. They violated the pledge made
4 ;
by their party in its platform at Nor
folk. They violated the requirements
of the Act of the General Assembly;
4 and they violated the confidence Of the
people. How many of the men who
gathered at the banquet in Richmond
on the 10th inst. would have been elect
ed members Of the convention if they
had been courageous and honest enough
to say they intended to make and pro-
claim constitution? Not one of them.
Were and are they patriots? Were
they not usurpers and hypocrites?