The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-09
he. ~ aavo q mind to vote for him,
too. and am Republican, also"
THAT was Just li.,e Stuart.
THE VIRGINIA CONSTITUTION.

THE VIRGINIA CONSTITUTION.
/ In our first comment upon the pro
posed amendments to the Fundamental
law of this Commonwealth, we ven
4 tured the opinion that the Constitu-
4 ton of Virginia is an instrument
which was the work OF the ablest
Virginians OF their time. For that
reason, 1t is our belief that 1t should
| not be amended, unless there be some
real and Just popular demand for sucl
alteration. 1t was the solemn resolve
of n majority of the representatives
of the whole people OF Virginia as
to what code of principles should
guide their future action. We deplore
| the fact that, with the Constitution
| as young as 1t is, there should now
be attempts to make changes in 1t.
| The esteemed editor of the Char
ilottesville Progress was a member of
| the Constitutional Convention of 1902.
| Here is what he thinks about the sug-
gested changes in the Constitution:
| when their work was completed
| it was the general sentiment that they
| had constructed most admirable
Constitution. But very soon the NAL
contents and busybodies and wiseacres
| began to cast about to see IL they
could not pick flaws in 1t. Such is al
ways the case. 1t was so with the
Federal Constitution. From the time
it was adopted in 1888 to the present
day every successive Congress has dis
cussed and propounded amendments.
But the public sentiment of the coun-
try was not behind this restless agi-
tation for change; for leaving out
OF consideration the three war amend
ments' which were the inevitable con-
sequence OF the abnormal condition
of affairs. the upheaval in our domes-
tic Institutions, there have in the hum
dred and twenty-five years that have
elapsed since tie adoption of that Con-
stitution been but two amendments,
the last of these having been adopted
in 1904. In the hundred and six years
that have since elapsed there has been
no amendment to the Federal Consti-
tuition Except the three that We're,
as said above. the products of the
Civil War, and were practically forced
upon the Southern States). Yet, al
though but eight years have passed
since the adoption of our Virginia Con-
stitution. four amendments are to be
submitted to the people at the No
vember election
Let it not be thought that the Con-
stitution adopted in 1902 is perfect
1t is not 50; the men who made it
were not infallible. 1t is not our po
sition that. because the best men OF
Virginia of the time framed it, no
alterations can be made in 1T. If there
-,r ~. i- we
| all of US. let the defects be cured.
But if there is considerable doubt as
to The wisdom Of the suggested amend
ments, let us proceed with great de-
liberation before we vary the organic
law which governs us.
The Constitution OF 1902 is not
sort of sacred white elephant in our
eyes. In regarding it We do not place
reverence above reason We think
that the Constitution is amenable 70
the test of experience. but the sort
of experience we mean is the expe-
rlence that is fair, discriminating
broad and just. The common experience
of the Commonwealth is that'the pro-
posed changes viii work rather to the
harm than to the good of Virginia; for
that reason we are opposed to each
of them.
The test of an amendment TO the
present law is: will it work for an i'm
proved condition of the people. will it
change things for the better? The
proposed changes do not stand this
test successfully. Therefore. they
should be defeated at the polls in
! November.