The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-03-25
VOL. "


It seems that the friends Of 3 constitu-
tional convention left the drafting Of the
joint resolution altogether to its enemies.
The resolution provides for an election to
be held on the first Monday in August, at
which election the qualified electors Of the
State shall, in each Senatorial district, vote
for three delegates to constitutional con-
vention. This would make ninety mem
bers in all, body quite large enough, If
composed Of the right material, to properly
perform the work assigned them. At the
same election these electors are also re-
ouiEed to vote s'for convention" or ''against
convention" The presiding justices of the
different counties are to make returns Of
the election to the Secretary Of State, and
if the majority Of votes, when counted,
are ''for convention" the Governor is
to issue his proclamation calling the
convention to meet on the first Monday
in September. It Is strange, indeed, that
Legislators should have passed such an i'm
portant act as this without the proper con-
sideraEiOn, Counting the time from the
hoIuing OF the election to that of the as
sembling of the convention, it will be seen
that only thirty days are allowed for the
returns to be made, votes counted, the
Governor to declare the result, issue his
proclamation calling the body together, and
for the delegates thereafter to assemble at
Austin. The time allowed by law for the
counting of votes of general elections and
for members of Congress, under act of
1878, is limited to not less than forty
days from the date of the election. True
it is, the election for delegates to a con-
Vention is not embraced under the act re-
ferred to, and therefore does not come un-
der its provisions. 1t shows, however,
that while the friends of constitutional
convention were not vigilant, its enc
mics were actively ut work, trying by all
manner Of means to defeat one. The joint
resolution calling a constitutional conven-
ton comes near defeating itself. The
first returns received from the late general
election was from the. county of Ell Paso,
three weeks after the election was held.
The returns of the election for the con-
vention Will have to be in the hands of the
Secretary of State in fifteen days after it is
held. Such thing is possible, but at the
same time it will require the greatest activity
to make it success. Fifteen days more can
be allowed for the votes to be counted, the
result declared, and for the Governor to
cali the body together. The limited time
allowed by law is simply absurd, but since
the Governor has lately shown himself pos
sessed of the happy faculty of leading us
out of great difficulties, it is believed he
can be equal to this emergency. He must
see that plotters and schemers shall not
succeed in defeating the will of the people
by making laws upon great and leading ques-
tions deemed imperative within themselves.
The convention must be held The amend
ments to the Constitution proposed under
the joint resolution passed by the late Leg
islature will not, in all instances, answer
the purposes desired. We are opposed to
an elective JUDICIARY at 1eaSE IN LaL0 :;
wo ~r0 opposed to an iaoperdtipe
school system, and to some other organic
changes as proposed in the amendments.
We regard some of these amendments as
traps set by designing politicians, conceived
for clf-aggrandizement, and the evidences
are contained in the provisions of the JOINT
resolution authorizing constitutional con-
vention, that these schemers were at work
to defeat the latter, and probably both OF
the resolutions. It is no time for the peo-
pie to be cheated out of birthright, just
now doubly sacred. They desire a conven-
ton; they need one; they are ready to pay
for one, for they recognize that the only
way to check the inordinate expenses oi
the government is to go down to the very
base of it, tear it up, and make new fab
rication, based upon wisdom, prudence and
integrity-a thing not of tyranny and mill
tary dictation, but guarantee made by
intelligence, freedom and peace.