Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-11-05
Address of the Free Democratic state
Committee.

eide in the election of the 18th of November, a
question of far more importance than any which
has been or probably ever will be presented to be
decided by the suirages of the present generation
Of Massachusetts men, Your delegates, chosen
by your votes from among yourselves, assembled
IN Convention pursuant to The direction of your
sovereign will, duly expressed, have presented a
revised Constitution to be ratified or rejected by
you You are thus to decide whether the fnnda-
mental law of the State, adapted by the wisdom
of you fathers TO the condition of things as they
were in 1880, will better secure your rights and
promote your welflre in this progressive age, than
the Revised Constitution, which your own dele
gates have adapted TO the wants and necessities
of the present generation.
This question deeply concerns your own wei
fare and the welfare Of your chdren and it ought
to be approached with candor and decided with
out regard to party considerations Constitution
al reform is the great question involved il this
election,i in the direct vote the Constitution land
scarcely less 50 in the choice of a Legislature, to
make the laws necessary to carry the principles
OF the Constitution into successful effect. 1t rs
purely question touching our own home bred,
hresidG rights aud interests, and has no necessary
connection whatever with party organizations,
either State or National Il does not interfere
with any such organizations, and it is not proper
that they should interpose any disturbing nfu-
ence to sway the decision Of the people upon its
merits. The people of Massachusetts will watch
with an eye jealous Of their own honor and indie
pendence, every attempt, from whatever quarter,
to intermeddle with his, which is one of the ex.
elusive concerns Of their own hearth-stones, and
they will seattle the authors of such interference
with an Indignant rebuke
Fellow citizens, the old Constitution, has been
Enthusiastically condemned by the people, All the
important provisions Of the new Constitution were
approved by an overwhelming majority of the
Convention, and received the votes of delegates
of all political parties. Many of the ablest of the
present opponents of its adoption have admitted
that the new Constitution is better than the old
one. And yet bitter and malignant party war
fare is waged against the new Constitution.
This extraordinary party strife for perpetuating
the old Constitution comes not because of any IN
justice done by the new Constitution to the " big
party, but because it destroys the power of the
Boston cabal, which manages the Wing party, for
the promotion Of private interests. The power of
this cabal is lodged in the general ticket SYSTEM
by which the squad of politicians who manage
the Boston and Suffolk ward and county Conven-
ton, dictates the election of sir Senator's and
forty four Representatives., and thus practically
controls the Wing party and the State govern
ment, in all its branches, whenever the Wing
party of the State is in power
The monstrosity of the general ticket system.
and the enormiiy of the inequality of the plan of
representation under the old Constitution, which
by DISTINGUISHING the sparsely populated agricul
tural towns, is rapidly concentrating the power in
the few large towns and cities, began to be real
lsed in the year 1850 In that year an effort was
made to pass through the Legislature a PROPOSE
ton to amend the Constitution The Wing par
ty was largely in majority in both branches, and
many wing members were in favor of the amend
ments. The Boston cahal, however, seeing that
the seats Of their power would be disturbed, set
their faces against any reform, and. by the APP
plicaton of the party lash forced the mass Of the
wing members to vote against every proposition
of constitutional reform.
In the Legislature Of 1851 the wings were in
minority, and propositions of amendment were
passed by the Senate. But 10 the House. the ca
bal forced the wings to party rally against re-
form, and Of course secured more than the one
third vote, which there defeat all propositions
for constitutional amendment.
Finding the amendment of the Constitution by
the legislative mode utter impossbility, the
Legislature Of 1851 submitted the proposition to
the people for calling Convention. BY active
party opposition, coupled with gross misrepresen-
tatlon ofthe objects of the reformers the Conven.
ton was that year defeated by a small majority
of the popular vote.
The Legislature of 1852 again submitted to the
people the question of calling a Convention. The
Cabal again opposed all constitutional reform and
made party rally against even allowing the PEG
pie to we've whether they would have Conven-
uon. In this year, the people were aroused to
their danger under the old Constitution, and be-
came aware that their rights were rapidly pass.
ing away; and they voted, by more than 1000
majority, to have Convention to revise the Con
stitulion.
The Wing party came accidentally into power,
and, under the dicIation of The Boston cnbal, as
ever, it insolently denied the right of the people
10 have Convention A proposition was made
to repeal, by act of the Legislature, the peo-
pies Convention act. Too cowardIy to fight
through openly the issue they thus made with the
people, they abandoned the attempt to destroy
the Convention by direct act of repeal, and
set themselves at work to overturn it by indirect
attacks.
Fellow citizens, you all remember the uncon-
sliuonaI repeal OF the secretballot law, as appli-
cable to the election of delegates to the Couven-
ton. You remember the arbitrary and absurd
rulings OF Speaker Bliss, which subverled the
rules of the House and the rights of its members
the revolutionary, disorganzlng proceedings
the dissertation of the State House by the intro
duction of intoxicating drinks as an element of
legislation, for the first time in the history Of the
State-and all the outrages by which this high
handed measure, IN caatempt Of the expressed
will ofthe people, was forced through the forms
of enactment. This desperate attempt to destroy
the Convention and defeat the popular will, was
the work OF the Boston cabal, in death struggle
TO retain power by perpetuating injustice. 1t was
the Boston general ticket regiment whchled con-
spicuously in these high handed and disgracefuI
proceedings, and the general ticket auxiliares
from Salem and some other large towns supported
their Boston allies.
The rights of The minority Of the Legislature
were struck down to make way for an attacl, on
the peoples Convention. When this Outrage was
about TO be consummated, the minority, after do
ing all that men could do to maintain their own
rights and the rights olthe people, issued an APP
peal to YOU which closed with the following
words:
"But should the unconstitutional and revou-
tonary measures be forced through, they solemn.
y appeal TO the people of The old Commonwealth
of Massachusetts to rally to the polls on the 9TH
i .slA 4 L.