The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-04
SHALL LIBERTY BIZ RESTRICTED.


The voters of Virginia are called upon to-
morrow to decide a question hardly second in
Importance to them TO the election of a pres-
dent the proposed amendments to the consti-
tuition. The principle involved In the issue
strikes at the very root of Democracy--snali
the voter have the right to untrammeled
ballot or shall the right of suffrage granted
inalienably to free people by the constitu-
ton be restricted by State statute?
On the surface the ballots to be used tonaor-
row will call upon the voters TO say whether
they are for" or against the Amendments
10 section iIs and section 12o of the con-
ssitrtion of Virginia. The defeat ef rness
amendments means that city treasurer or
commissioner OF revenue can be Reelected 90
that after serving one term he must retire
from Office regardless of whether the people
who elected him and want him again not;
the adoption Of the amendments means that
the people who elected these officials shall
have the right to say whether or not they
shall he continued in Office The denial. of
the right of the people to the free of the
ballot, whether it be for the choice of city
treasurer. commissioner of revenue any
other elective official Is In plain violation anAs
deaance Of the letter and spirit OF the con-
stltut on. framed by the forefathers who fought
and bled for liberty
s Let no voter in the heat of excitement at.
PENDANT upon presidential campaign neglect
this issue. Suppose, for example, that the
de he no rr{y 10
Of re-eieetng congressman a mayor or
city councilman. or any other official Of
prominence who had served them faithfully and
capably? Would they stand for it? Hardly.
and yet the who handle city's finances
are Just as essential--perhaps more SOTO its
welfare 49, -----~--,~.a.-.i
why. by force of law. kick out of office
q faithful. competent official if he has served
the municipality well; why deny to the
sovereigns who put him there the right
elect him; why remove the eligibility ban upon
county officers and restrict voters IN tho city?
1t is not only unjust but undemocratic. Not
one of its few advocates has put forth Il
amendments
A majority of the members OF the last gem
eral assembly evidently thought these amend
ments were necessary they would not have
voted for them to be submitted to the peo-
! pie; the members of the constitutional con-
yention almost without exception, concede
that these should be amended. and the press
Of the State Is almost unanimously IN favor
of them. The two or three lonesome news
papers who are opposing the amendments
with no ground to stand upon--are trying TO
becloud the issue by libeiling the officials
elected by the people and insulting the In
seliigenee of the sovereign voters of Virginia.
They admit the Democracy OF the proposed
amendment to section 119-which gives voters
OF municipalities the right to kick out incom-
petent officials and establish commission form
OF government. but they brand as undemocratic
the proposed amendments which give voters
the right to continue in office competent officials
they see fit TO do so--a perfectly untenable
and Illogical position. and which will not
fool the intelligent people OF Virginia
Let no voter In the heat of excitement OF
the presidential issue tomorrow neglect or
dodge an issue which is OF just as much i'm
portsnce them-the question of whether
they shall continue to hold the right of the
untrammeled ballot and vote for whom they
please. or whether they shall be denied the
privilege OF voting for certain officials for whom
Il Ii their inalienabe right to vote It is
UP to the militant Democracy of Virginia TO
assert Its independence and crush any re- |
striction upon free and untrammeled ballot /
Vote for all three amendments.