The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1850-03-13
The Convention.

| lHe Legislature, III prOWulng IOr the
election of Delegates to the Convention to
remodel the State Constitution. has fixed
upon the first Monday in April, (the day
of the annual Spring election, as the time
when the Delegates are to be elected. p
For the first time since Ohio was State
is the power now given to the people to Sc.
lect Delegates to whose hands will be com.
mitted the delicate and responsible task oi
giving to Ohio new Constitution. r
The time for preparation is short. In a
few weeks the people will be called to. tbs
fpolls, and between this time and the Ist ol
fApril, the candidates will have to be Sc.
lected. In view of this fact, and of the
importance of the struggle now upon us
we would urge upon our Democratic friends
the necessity of prompt and energetic &C.
ton. -~raa .-.- c ...g. b..
The change of State constitution-the
giving Of new charter of freedom to the
people of Ohio, is one in which every man,
of every station in life, feels deep inter-
est. By its side and in comparison with
it, other elections are of but minor impor-
tance. -...... -r.
As party, the Democracy Of the State
have for years been impressed with the be-
lief that the present Constitution, formed
in haste when the country was but sparse
ly settled, was insufficient to secure the
rights and interests of the two millions of
people who now inhabit it, and hence, they
have advocated a change The whig
leaders. with a few honorable exceptions,
opposed the change, and when the law al
lowing the people to vote yea or nay on the
calling of Convention, was finally pas
sed, they sought by secret and disreputa-
BILE means, to defeat it. They feared to
trust the people with this power, for they
feared the spirit of progress which is abroad
in the land. In their attempt to defeat the
call of Convention, they found them
selves in a minority, but they are still un-
conquered-still secretly in the field. en-
deavoring to prevent a change. In Dem
ocratic counties, they will seek an election
as Delegates under the artfll plea that in
such struggle party politics should be for
gotten, while in whig counties, they will be
careful to draw the lines ofpower so tight,
and to so drill their party friends, as to rem
der the election of Democrats, no matter
how talented, matter of impossibility.
Although the people, by large MAORI
ty, decided at the election last fall in favor
ofa new Constitution, still the leaders of
that party, to whom the democracy are op-
posed, have hopes of defeating the meas
ure, by attempting, through their delegates
in the Constitutional Convention assem-
bled, to engraf upon the new Constitution
such principles as will secure its defeat,
when the vote is taken on its acceptance
or rejection. This is no idle fear, nor is it
new tactics Of that party.
In 1891, the people of New York, after
severe struggle, succeeded, notwithstand-
ing the opposition of the federal leaders,
in calling a convention to change their con-
stitution. The party opposed to the dem
ocracy, went against any change and SO
near were parties balanced in convention,
that it was not until test votes were taken,
that it was decided, that the Republicans
had a majority. The tactics of the federal
party then changed. and their leading men
sought by engrafting amendments on the
new constitution, which were supposed
would be obnoxious to the people. to pro-
cure its rejection. No matter how wild,
how visionary the amendment proposed,
the federal leaders, if they saw chance
of fastening it on the constitution, would
vote for i, and in this way they succeeded
in ENGRAVING in the fundamental laws Of