The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-12-26
How Shall n Constitutional Con.
ventiOm be Called.

Editor Fl0 tdidn am in favor of amend
menis being made to the present Constitution,
or if you please a =" revision of the whole in
s;rument, as the phrase goes; but whatever may
be the mode of e6ecting amendments, whether
by and through the Legislature, or a revision by
and through Convention, am at the same
time in favor of accomplishing the work accord
irg TO the forms and in the manner prescribed
by the Constitution. This is a matter in which
no risks, no precedents be set which may come
back to plague us, should be allowed to enter;
and if you will permit me to say So I think it is
high time that the Democratic party of the
South and of Florida in particular should be ed
, ucated up TO the point of respecting Coustitu-
tional requirements.
Up to this time, with overwhelming majorities
in the Legislature aud thus possessing the power
to either amend the Constitution or provide for
the assembling of Convention, the Democratic
party has studiously abstained from going out
side of Constitutional forms and has in this pru-
dent manner indicated its right to challenge
the confidence of capitalists and conservative
thinking people of all sections and politics. We
have 10 our ranks. as is we'll known, regulating
hand as soon as the Democrats came into power
in 1877, but to the credit of the party be it said,
no favor has been extended TO their ruioous
schmes and the result is that State finances are
in healthy condition and men of means are
not afraid to invest their money in Florida lands
and securities. Is this praiseworthy, prudent
course in all matters relating to Constitutional
changes and to preserving the States good name
Tor order and obedience to law, now TO be de-
parted from in so grave matter as Constitu-
tiOnal Convention, which will have 10 its hands
the revision of the fundamental law?
Is the Democratic party to take step back
ward and lay itself liable to the Charge of b az
arding, for mere sentiment, its own success by
an unreasonable abuse of powerP Is it going
back on its own rccoldi A Convention called
together in pursuance OF Constitutional require
ments cannot be objected 10, for the simple
reason that the Constitution itself provides for
the assembling of such body and prescribes
the mode and manner of bringing it into being
but Convention called otherwise than as the
Constitution prescribes will be an illegal body,
because IL will be called outside of the Consti-
tuition and without any sanction in law for its
assembling. The Constitution prescribes all the
forms to be gone through with and when Con-
vention assemblies, il is clothed with all the dig
nifty that should surround such body; but
when you depart rom these forms you are OF
sea- A mere majority OF those voting, whether
they be one thousand or fifty, are to control;
and thus The whole revolutionary proceeding
from Its beginning TO the end, is fruitful of dan
ger as precedent and may be vastly injurious
10 the best interests of the Stote. Nothing like
this can he said of a Convention legally called
and besides. Mr.. Editor, believe that the right
way OF doing thing IL always the best and
speediest way. As Convention man want
the body to meet with the sanction Of law and
regularity. want no bastard affair Here Is
Mr.. Pasco, lawyer, In effect admitting that The
" short cut" movement Is outside of ell law or
sembance Of law. He cites Arkansas and Geor-
gia as precedents. "Within the past ten years."
ne says, Arkansas and Georgia have pursued
this course and Florida can safely follow their
example" Unfortunately for MI. Pasco, the
example" Of these two States gives no aid or
comfort to the revolutionary scheme be advo-
Gales. Their Constitutions adopted In 1868 only
prescribed the manner Of making amendments
% no LegsstasuTe, but said nothing a. to Con-
vention Tor their revision. This was len to the
Judgment Of theis Legislatures; 20 In 1874 the
Arkansas Legislature called Convention which
made new Consultation and this contains iden-
tically the same provision on tho subject OF leg
islauve amendments ~ the old one and Il also
silent as 10 Constitutional Convention. The
Georgia Constitution Of 1858 only prescribed the
manner Of making amendments and the only
restriction 4 placed on the Legislature = TO !
Convention was this: . The General Assembly