Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-10-17
THURSDAY. OCTOBER II. 1912
A BAD RECORD.

district, MADE "a member Of the late
constitutional convention. is frigh,fully
BID Possibly it il worse tnan that of
Henry @. Stuart, the democratic candi-
date OF twp years ago.
In his speech a. @arioa. Va. On Il .
2nd of September. 1912, General Ayers
said that the democratic party through.
out all its history has steadfastIy re-
sisted all encroschment upon the rights
OF the people He further declared
that: True to its history and tradi-
tlons. ths democratic psrty has been
hrst to respond to the voice of the peo-
PIE and heed their demands for greater
participation in their government.
Surely, ne was not thinking Of or re-
terring &C his past record as a democrat.
or nat Of bis party in Virginia, when he
made these fabulous assertions. The
record Of the Virginia democracy. and
Of General Ayers as one Of its leaders.
very plainly refutes hi, claims. The
record he and his party made in the
Masking of the new constitution stamps
his assertions az badly untrue. The
hrst vote cast by General Ayers in the
constitutional convention was a denial
of the Truth that all power is vested
n. ard consequently derived from the
people, that magistrates are their trus-
tees and servants, and at all times
amenable to them" This is what the
Bill Of Rights says, yet General Ayers
and his democratic associates in the
/. eonyalatiaB-with q few honorable ex-
ceptions-vcted egainst taking an oath,
and refused to do SC 5efore they pro
ceeded TO make = constitution for the
people o. Virginia, whose servants they
were TIE cath General Ayers and
every member OF the convention should
have taken is as follows:
-, Rufus A. Ayers. 90 solemnly
swear that l will support and mair-
tain the Constitution ard laws of
the United States, and n Lunstl-
tution and laws % &c State Of Vir-
ginis; that recognize and accept
the civil and political equality OF all
men before ms law, and that will
faithfully perform the duty of a
delegate in this convention to the
best of my ability"
The Constitution Of Virginia provided
that: "Al persons, before entering
upon the discharge OF any function as
officers of this State, must take and
subscribe the following oath or affirma-
ton" That is, the oath above quoted.
The refusal of General Ayers and the
democratic members of the convention
to take an oath to do their work as the
servants of the people, in conformity
with existing constitutional and statute
law, was based upon the unwarrantable
assumption that the people of Virginia
had voluntarily Invested themselves of
all sovereign power; ard had invested
the one hundred members of the con
vention with the sovereignty that had
passed from the people. Ex-Governor
VIM. E. Cameron, the most fanciful.
aud, therefore, the most popular speak
er in favor of the violation of law and
precedent, said:
Having asserted that we are
sovereign, sovereign in the sense
that the people have passed to US
all sovereignty, l desire
to read four apothems. No
oath Is required of any sovereign on
earth. There is no one to whom a
sovereign is responsible or can take
an oath. The idea of an oath i'm
plies the existence of superior.
We are the people, for the purposes
set forth, of framing the Constitu-
ton. To whom, then, shall we
swear fidelity except to ourselVes?"
Upon such specious, fanciful reason
ing as this. General Ayers aad his DEM
)cratic associates, who desired to vio-
ate the supreme law Of the land-the
Constitution Of the United States-and
% infrset the constitutional and statute
aw of Virginia without subjecting
to charge OF perjury, voted
sovereigns. kings, masters.