Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1878-01-02
Communicated.
Constitutional Convention.

YOUR readers OF what is being done
In this Parish in order that our Rep.
resentatives may understand the
sentiment OF the people with refer
eHce to u Constitutional Conyen-
ton. 4 few of our citizens being
informed that the people of BEN
vile parish were pciitioning the
General Assembly on this subject,
determined to act in concert, and
several petitions are being circula.
ted praying the Senate and House
of Representatives, 10 make provi.
sion for a constitutional convention
ut the ensuing session OF the Legs.
laturc. On the subject of constitu.
tional revision there is, ! suppose,
but one opinion. All see and feel
the necessity, but how and when
is the question that gives rise to
diilcrences-some favoring lcgisla'
tive amendments, others a conven'
ton. The advocates of the former,
i. e. by amendment, urge as one OF
their heaviest objections to IA con.
vcntion is the expense attaching
thereto. Again they claim that i'll
new constitution we will have to
vote on it as u whole and the prob.
ability of having many things still
Objectionable. One other that |
have heard, to my mind too weak
to notice, is that the interest of the
southern part Of the State and the
river parishes are diverse to that of
the northern parishes, and we will
suffer by the combination in a consti.
tutional convention. And still one
more as frail, that we may tail to
elect delegates who will prove true
and patriotic as we'll rs wise enough
to do what We want done.
/ For one. we are in favor of ne,r
constitution emanating from the in.
tclligencc of the people of this
, State, and III trying To meet the
objections thereto We shall offer
some OF the reasons that prompt us.
In the first place, according to
the prov isions of the present con.
stitution, only three amendments
can be submitted to the people nj a
time without said provisions he re.
pealcd, and to do this il requires
/ twelve months, and this ut least in.
wolves two years and two elections
before we could hope to secure the
relief by Legislative amendments
We need. Every thinking man
knows how insignificant constiin.
tiondl amendments. be they ever 81
important, become in Il heated par.
~ or personal contest for Office.
Comparatively few give themselves
time To investigate their worth. aud
thus they are always if ratified,
ratified by accident more than 9th
crwisc. Ii as is claimed il. might
he that delegates might hc circ.
ted 80 swaycd 10y local prejudice,
or 50 corrupt rs Ia frame Il con>ti.
tuition even more objectionable than
the present. on the same parity of
reasoning, en- We hopc amend
ments To be submitted To the ttco.
pie that will diminish either the
number OF officers or their salaries.
or Withdrawing the appointing
power of the Governor, or in any.
( thing that would affect the interest
/ Or power Of the present iRS' Is il
more probablclhat we may be more
indiScreet in the selection of dele
gates than representatives. Such
reasons from our opponents is toe
triiling and contemplate to deserv,
our time.
Ii is true we shall have to vote
upon the new constitution as {
whole, and that it may have objec
tionable features, surely not more