The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1886-03-03
A Constitutional Convention.


sEsAroa rrAKIrT said
Nm pnwiDESr: The Committee on Con.
siitutional Amendments, Of which have
the honor 10 be Chairman, has labored foi
a time 20 mature a bill acceptable o. tht
Legislature, which authorizes the people
70 call a Convention | give this bill ms
hearty support, for the reason that its priu.
cipal feature only opens the mouths u the
people and allows them 70 speak out and
say whether they want Convention or not
II majority vote for a Convention, the
people assume all the responsibility "a to
The result and expense. Surely the people
have the right TO speak for Themselves
aud say what they want. This Ia the only
issue in this bill. We have no right ID
travel out Of the record and debate here
What the Convention may or may not do il
convened. That IL for the Convention "a
do. | regard n Convention AZ necessity
for two reasons First--We need 80 many
amendments, and ~ we have 10 get two
thirds Of both houses 70 pass n resolution
for an amendment, il IL therefore q difficult
matter 10 get such a resolution through,
when the calling Of Convention only
requires majority OF both houses. We
could not get enough amendments in one
hundred years to our present Constitution
10 make Il good one. by Convention
We can remedy all these defects at once.
Secondly-As another proof Of the
necessity Of calling Convention, all the
other Southern States have had Conventions
since the war aud remodeled their Constitu
tions, and II il not reasonable To suppose
that they would have done 80 had II not
been necessity.
And another reason may be added Our
present Constitution was formed by
carpet baggers, aad BY those who were
enemies to our prosperity, welfare and hap.
piness. And surely the native people Of
Mississippi, and the Democratic party,
have as much right, and are as competent
10 make Constitution for themselves, as
the mongrel race who formed the present
one; and further we rejected this Consti
tuition az the ballot-box in 1868. Your
present speaker was one Of the commits
sioners Of election at that time, and assist
ed IN defeating that odous Constitution.
II was afterwards modified by Gen. Grant,
and forced upon ue, you may. say by the
bayonet, as we were then under military
rule.
Another reason for Convention: The
present Constitution WIS intended by it,
trainers 10 concentrate such power ia the
Executive 0A 10 enable him TO hold power
by blending judicial with executive lnhu.
eUoe, which subveris the plan Of govern
ment lurmed by our faihers, vizf % have
thfes distiact he ~, independent q each
ulher tlie legislative Judicial and exec-
usiye.
Constitutional Convention win rem
p3y many ui These evils. aud cleal the
iudfsa ~ the peopleor ~ me iseeisla-
fiFe Az 70 me cost u ronventfn,
contenl That We eau prime Our present ex-
peuse enough % save $500 600 oat al the
present cost per annum OF running
our State government. la answer to
the argument that the cost will be
so great, aud many other evils which
will arise from a Convention, | point
TO cur Southern sister States who
have held Conventions, and ask, are they
Have they suffered all this
injury, disturbance and ruin, predicted for
IA II We hold Constitutional Convention?
They have succeeded admirably we'll. All
quiet aud poaeeable and we hear no cou-
plant or dissatisfaction from them in any
way.
Now lei me say to these Senators who
vote against this bill How will ytu face
your constituents when you 60 home, and
they ask you why did you lock our mouths
aud refuse to let us speak out on this great
question: Why did you lock our mou,hs
with earpet.bag paddock II is an old
adage, and a true one, that factions sound
lounder than Words Now in voting
agaips, this bin what do your actions say ?
Why, yen say, the curpet.bag government
WAS not SO bad after ALL Your actions
sound, ia thunder tones from Tennessee
60 The Gulf aud from Alabama to the
Mississippi river that you have more con.
lidence in the Radicals aud carpet bsggers
than in Democrats and native Mississippi
plans. Although you boast Of your Democ
raoy you are afraid 10 trust your own con-
stitaents to make themselves u Gonstitu-
ton Pass this bill, and let our own peo-
pie make i Constitution worthy Of Missis-
sippans, and such Constitution MS free
men can live and prosper under.