The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-06
WHAT'S THE CONSTITUTION DE-
TMEEN pOLITLCIANSf

ing unlimited tenure to city trcasurers
and city commissioners without reach
ing the conviction that the proposition
Is beyond all doubt Unconstitutional
Yet, in all probability, an overwhclm-
Ing majority of tho Senate of Virginia,
despite the fact that they ARE sworn
to support the Constitution of the Com
monwealth will. unheeding the facts
before them. vote for this Ubiquitous
and outrageous measure. How, in
good conscience. Il Senator can vote for
this bill, after he has heard the ques-
ton fully discussed, The Times-Dis-
patch is at n loss to understand, cs-
pecially after the masterful and unan-
swerable argument of senator Walker.
OF Northumberland, yesterday. when he
showed that law and precedent hold
that the proposed resuemission Is In
direct violation OF the Constitution of
Virginia So far az Is known, Senator
Walker Is the only opponent OF this
unconstitutional proposition. which
would doubtless have slipped through
the Senate as sinuously and easily as
1t did in the House, had 1t not been for
the courageous and patriotic stand OF
the chairman of the Senate Committee
for Courts of Justice, who, single hand
ed, Is resisting this deliberate attempt
OF q powerful officeholders' trust to
deliberately disregard the organic law
OF the State. If the Senate OF Virginia
looks this question sQuarely in the
assent 10 the resubmission OF the
amendment
So confident were tho supporters Of
rssubmisston yesterday that the ex-
PLANTATION they made Of 1t was thinner
than tissue paper. 1t would have been
Tered. The contention for rcsubmission
embraced three arguments % That
the people demand the right to vote
separately as to the tenure OF city
treasurers and commissioners: (2) that,
because lawyers disagree to the
constitutionelity of the amendment.
the people should pass upon 1t: (Sp
that the General Assembly was guilty
of gross error in Incorporating in a
single resolution the proposition to
give unlimited tenure to city treasur-
ers and commissioners. That was all.
and II took one Senator about four
minutes to state II.
Standing squarely upon the law of
this State and other States. Senator
Walker showed that there is no public
demand for this amendment; at no
time and nowhere have the people OF
Virginia protested that they wished TO
vote separately on city treasurers and
commissioners, nor have they evidenced
one scintilla OF desire 10 have the
amendment resubmitted The matter,
rightly said thG'senatSr. is one of very
great importance" 1t ought not to be
acted upon by the Senate until after
duo elaboration. THE question has
never before been presented 10 the Gen
eral Assembly OF Virginia nor, as far
he said. Yet so vital n measure went
through the House without discussion
and with but one negative vote, and
It seemed yesterday that IL was about
TO slide as swiftly through The Senate.
The Constitution OF Virginia, pointed
out Senator Walker. gives the General
Assembly the unrestricted right to
propose amendments 10 the people in
such manner as 1t shn.l prescribe
That gives the Legislature full author
ity to put the amendments in whatever
form that body sees fit. The Constltu.
ton does not say tina: amendments
shall be submitted separately: even In
state Constttut ons where i, Is cxprcsa-
ly required that amendments shall b.
proposed separately. 1t has been uni.
fornly held that when several amend
aments are germane they can legally
be included In one resolution.
1t follows that Under the Virginia
constitution which does not require
separate submission many amend.
mcnts could le embraced within =
single resolution. This has been don,
In Virginia In the past; there arc man,
instances OF st under the old Consti
tuition. The constitutional proyisIor
for rcsubmisson OF amendments n
the present Constitution /. the sam.
as that In the old Constitution; In,
last Constitutional Convention simDl,
re-enacted and continued the law a
81 existed prior TO the adoption of ,h
organic law by that body. Tho con
tention of the supporters of result
mission is that the amendment az T.
county treasurers and commissioner
was valid. because only one para
graph OF. the Constitution was include
In the resolution proposing the chang,
while in the case of city treasurer
and commissioners two sections wer
Included In ono resolution. one &
which referred to city treasurers; tn
other! to city commissioners. Senate
Walker points out that these two aC
Soining eections are not only plainl