The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-11-07
1he Neg Constitution.

tile Vdi lOuS cOnillCJnl8 interests oI tIS
State was not to be expected, and a we'll
organized and vigorous opposition to its
ratification may be confidently anticipated.
AS general rule, the people are reluctahC
to acquiesce in a change of their organic
law and are content to suffer present eVlIS
rather than fiy to others they know not Of
Hence the Constitution of 1888, which was
unouestionably vast improvement ON that
of 17eO. which it itsuperceded, was strenuous
" opposed, and was adopted by the people
by only meagre majority, Constitutions
require to be changed with the progress OF
the age and the advancing strides of the
people i'll all that effects their material
prosperity, and although we do not pre-
tend to recollect specifically every detail of
the work of the Convention, which can
only be ascertained from the full text of
the instrument when it is published, we
believe it has succeeded in framing su-
preme law for the State which ouGht and
will meet with the appreciation of large
majority of the people.
The Constitution is to be submitted to a
popular vote at a special election to be held
on Tuesday, the 18th of December, in or
der that, if it is adopted, it may go into
effect before the meeting of the Legisla-
ture on the first Tuesday in January. 1t
is important that this should be done for
the purpose of preventing another session
of vicious and corrupt special legislation.
After full discussion, the Convention
decided that the Constitution should be
submitted as whole and without sepa-
rate vote on any of its parts. 1t was sup
posed by some that separate vote would
be taken on the clause Increasing the num-
Der of Senators from thirty three to fifty
and that of the House from one hundred
to two hundred, and also on what is known
as the Rail Road Article''-jYhich latter
was the subject of more discussion than
any other of the amendments-but the
Convention determined otherwise. We
are not quite convinced that such Il course
was wise and expedient, but it is now
fixed fact and it would be useless to dis
cusS it. .-.--
In all the counties outside of Philadel-
phia, the election will be held by the pres
ent election officers, and it is made the
duty of the County Commissioners to fur
nish each election district with the neces-
sary number of tickets, both fer and against
the new Constitution.
In order absolutely to exclude the Phil
adelphia Ring from any chance of practis-
ing its usual wholesale and iniquitous
frauds on the ballot-bOx i'll that city, the
Convention wisely deprived the present
elCction boards of all power to act at the
proposed special election. In that city
foe commissioners of election have been
appointed by the Convention,s who are to
revise and correct the registry lists and
furnish corrected lists to the election Off
GERS of each election precinct. They are
also to distribute the tickets and to ap-
point Judge and two Inspectors for each
election division. The general returns Of
the city are to be opened, computed and
certified before them, and their approval
must be endorsed on the return, which is
to be sent to the President of the Conven-
tion at Harrisburg. The Commissioners
are John p. Eerree, Edwin II. Filter and
Edward Browning, Republicans, and John
o. James and Henry S. Hagert, Demo
Gratis. These gentlemen are all prominent
citizens of Philadelphia and are we'll known
as high minded, honorable men, who
would scorn to perpetuate the frauds on
the ballot-box that have made the name
of VIM. B. Mann and those of his guilty
co-operators Infamous throughout the
/ State. The Commissioners have most
d
character warrants the belief that they
win prove themselves equal to the occa-
! sion. If they do the people of Philadel-
/ phia will once more enjoy the luxury Of a
! fair and honest election and the ballot-
boxes will not be made to utter palpa-
BILE and shameless lie. p. .--.r...-