The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-09-24
FRIDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER "A, 1870

bv f. VI. Taylor, formerly of tins
place, is opposed TO the New Consti-
lion. He must love the old thing be-
cause Drake had a hand in it. Does
not friend Taylor know that ROdman
never let the returns of the vote on
that Constitution see the light of day
after he got hold of it. There are on
" about seven papers in the State OPP
posing the New ComstitutiOn.-Glas-
gov journal.
Does not the venerable editor OF
the journal know that all he says III
the above has no relation whatever
to the merits or dement's Of the new
conStitution-rhe question now be-
fore the people? The democracy have
had full control Of the Legislature
and State tor a number of years past,
and those provisions of the "Drakc
COnstitutiOn''that made them so sick,
have long since been repealed. What
do those extinct provisions have now
to do with the adoption or rejection
of the new constitution? And Rod
mans alleged interference with the
returns. What does that have to do
with it? (Dy how large Il majority
was the proposition for holding the
last Convention carried? How much
larger than the vote that adopted the
Drake Constitution?') Why does
the journal so often allude to the
Drake Constitution" ''niggCr equal
ity," and the like, upon any and CIV
cry political subject that comes up
having no relevancy whatever to the
case,-cXcept 1t be to keep alive in
his own bosom. and that of his read
ers. the bad passions engcndered by
the war, and by these means cement
more firmly the ties that bind his par
ty togcthcr?: We have not yet seen a
sensible reason in the Journal why
theneW constitution should be adopt
ed for any merit ii possesses ~
and above the present one. But. you
see, it has been n0n1jnatcd by the dem
ocratic party, and Eastin supports
the 'nominee," and Drake had a
hand" in making the old one, and
kindred stuff. and Eastin can't stand
that,
The fact of the business is, the
Bourbon democracy wanted to place
Missouri in harmony with Southern
democracy Oh the cardinal rebel doe
trinc of States flights, and to break
down the Public School, and they de-
yised this Convention scheme to eff
feet their purposes. These vital
changes might have been submitted,
like other amendments were, on
the Legislature plan, but this would
have involved their separate submits
sion to the people. The people would
have examined, and voted upon. them
sin"ly; their nature and intent dis
cussed, criticized, and exposed; and
they would have been buried beneath
their righteous indignation. The
Legislature plan of changing the Con-
stitution answered very well in Sc
curing those amendments relating to
test oaths. disposition ofschOOl funds,
the Supreme Court, registration, and
various Others, that from time to
time were made in the present one,
for the people were ripe for these
changes, and they commanded gener-
al approval. But a direct and spec
ial vote of the people On these two
radical changes in the Constitution,
was just what the Bourbons did not
want, for well they know that nc
two provisions of the present Consti-
tutiOD stand higher i'll the affections
of the loyal, progressive, and benev-
client, than those defining the rela-
tions of Missouri to the Federal Tn
ion, and making liberal provisions
for the maintenance Of Public
Schools. In accordance with their
usual policy, they masked their plan
of attack. The Convention was call
ed, composed almost solidly of the
Bourbon element; they Incorporated
these changes in the new cOnstitu-
ton; appointed a committee of their
number to show it up in a ia
vorable light generally, extolling a
great many wonderful changes it pro.
poses to make in the matter of econ-