New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-02-28
THE TRIBUNE.
sATGRDAY. FEBRUARY as, 1896.
Tho Convention +.

considerations
s,tutona Convention we will not attempt to de'ef'
mine but ;hat it is desirable that Delegates s"ei, "
chosen with view to different and h'gnef oon'iue'
atoms than those which now direct inc euiieH'' Va
Party Politics. seems most manifest Is sreA''y
more inuortant that majority ofshe Delegates snai
ha oo-nestv favorable to real and thorough JUDI
cial Reform. to Equal Suffrage, to Single EiecuV'
Districts both for Senate and Assembly 10 inc .e,
hshrnent of absolute safeguards against
ting. to the reduction Of Executive fa'ouAsc
nar,oues. limits and the reference OF ai 4es
,.,,ers n, merely Iocalnterest to the oouhy
-rr-.-,,.ors than that said majority shai De CON-
-, ~ MON who voted for Clay or Polk. we LOT
..,,nle are thoroughly favorable to fro'ec'loh'
shars orc mat az strenuous for free trade: bat we
.ore not button whether majority OF the Conven-
tor be with MS or against on has question so
of National Bank. Sub.Treasury, National Inter
m, Iro,royeuents, &c. But it would be hare Work
for us TO support any champion Of the present s2'o
f,sAha qualification for voting or any other unequal
limitation of the Right Of Suffrage and so OF Inc
Uniform District System, Judicial reform anu VIC
like We could not vote for an enemy OF Ihese me-
forms because we should thereby vote 10 renoer 'ie
Convention nullity, If nothing worse ano orlng re-
nroach on those who have been active IN procuring
the call we can readily disregard or forget all
PARTY considerations 40 far nay be consistent win
6dei,v to the vital objects OF the Convention seh'
Farther we cannot 90 nor can it be justly expected
We have little faith In any plan OF banlsnins farty
a;s-.,cas from the choice of Delegates through for
NAL arrangement or party machinery II MI INC
rominept men in the State should unite as mas oeeh
suogested in g recommendation 10 the Peopie OF the
ssveral counties choose settled proportion OF Der
epates from each party we think no good end would
be answered thereby. The People must be allowed
.otake their own course in this matter and the spe'
ciSc mode of action which is xpedientin one County
NAV be utterly uDsuitcd the state of facts existing
in another Each County must be left 10 determine
and act for itself In most OF them Delegates will
probably be brought forward through regular Party
nominations, bat it by no means follows that the
People will be governed by Party bias in choosing
from among them. On the contrary, we doubt not
that true and earnest Reformers will take care 10
scru,inize the names presented on either sde and 10
erase from that ticket they may generally prefer
such as they have reason to believe hostile TO the
main purposes Of the Convention, substituting there
for those of men whose fidelity and thoroughness
they can rely. In this way the Convention will be
filed with men who will do the work assigned them
and render needless the expense and trouble OF an
other speedy revision of the Constitution.
We are DESTROYS that this should be in the broad
est sense Convention Of the People OF New y ork.
We hope to see all parties. all opinions fairly rep
resented therein all suggestions of amendment for,
chilly presented and fairly considered Yet we could
not agree that the "a 600 voters against the call shall
have equal right therein with the $4,000 voters in
favor of that call Nor can we deem it reasonable
even that the 100000 voters who declined or neglect
ed to vote at all on the question should choose from
their number majority of the Delegates This Con-
vention ia called to reform the State Constitution,
rot 10 uphold and perpetuae its abuses. The spirit
of the Parliamentary usage which prescribes that
petition or proiec! shall be referred TO committee
presumed to regard it with favor, clearly reaches
this case. Let the Conservatives, the haters OF
change and innovation, the advocates or apologiss
of those features in our present Constitution in
which Reform is demanded, be fairly represented
in that body, but let those Reformers at the same
time constitute clear majority They, and not their
adversaries are held responsible by the People for
the calling and the results of this Convention they
and not their adyersa-ies, were expected to direct
its action; they and not their adversaries, will be
When the Amended Constitution shall have been
finished, tue People pass upon its provisions
giving them the vitality of fundamental law or te
solving them to nothngness. Shall they not be per
micd 10 choose between the present and thor I
oughiy Reform Constitution If only few party
projects of little moment like the Peoples Reso-
lutons' are to be engrated on the old instrument,
we doubt whether the difference will be deemed by I
the greater number oFeecors worth voting on nj all!
We have said that we care not so far as Party
merely is conccrned, what is the Political character
of the approaching Convention. If it will do the
work which we believe imperativey required by
the enlightened sentiment and the best intere ats OF
the People Of New.York. we shall be amply salts,
hed though our Party be ever meagcrly represent
ed therein. But we cannot shut our eyes 10 the
fact that large portion OF the men prominen;
in the LocoFoco ranks occupy position exceed
ingly unfavorable to tho impartial consideration or
hearty advocacy of vital and radical Reform Does
our system of chanccry need rigorous application
of the pruning-knife if not entire renovation e
They are the brothers and cousins partners and par
tisans OF our Chancellor, Vice Chancellor. Masters
and Examiners in Cheucery. Clerks &C. who are
reaping rich harvests of cash and consequence from
the system which requires such scrutiny and sur
gerry. Does our JUDICIAL system hecu recasunS
They stand in like relations political and otherwise,
to our regiment of Supreme Superior, Circuit and
County Judges, whose pecunary interests and per
sonal dgni,ies will be sorely jeoparded by thorough
Judicial Reform. So with the Surrogates State In
spectors of this and that, and other dependents OF
Executive power. The confident calculation 'ot the
party is that the State will be generally in their
hands, though many Counties will not be. How
natural in all these is the belief that matters
win hardly be improved by any Radical change
that they are tolerably well as they and tha,
change may produce evils of unforeseen but enor
NOUS magnitude The combined parts and pri-
vate interes. in favor of keeping things subs,an,
tally they Imminent and palpable; the a.
legged advantages of the changes proposed seem re
mote, shadowy, doubtful How natural that men
nnder such irnenccs shnnll strive limit and h