Caldwell's address was published as a broadside on 3 Aug. 1850. It was written in order to express Caldwell's political views on reform issues, and is particularly concerned with the voting rights of western Virginians. Caldwell begins the broadside by stating the importance of reform issues such as extension of voting rights, abolishment of the executive council, and alterations to the county court system to the current election. He then mentions the 1829 debate over constitutional reform and a committee of prominent Virginians that was created to question candidates about their position on reform issues. He notes that almost every man questioned asserted that all free white citizens should have equalized representation. Caldwell uses this reference to the 1829 committee in order to express his own affirmative views on equalizing representation, adding that such a stance was taken by the most prominent men of the day. He insists that there can be no justification for those who are willing to deny the west voting rights, unless they are troubled by a "fear of oppressive taxation." This position, Caldwell asserts, which values property over people, denies the fundamentals of American government and undermines the political power of the vast majority of citizens. Furthermore, Caldwell feels that there is too much concern over taxation and that taxes are and should be proportional to the property of the individual. He adds that the west exceeds the east in agricultural and industrial production, adult literacy, and productive labor, making them worthy depositories of political power. Caldwell concludes that he is in favor of thorough voting rights reform.
