Evening journal., 1890-10-30
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
DOwAAam Admits 1t.

Downham Admits 1t
| To the Editor Of the EVENING JOURNAL.
SIR Being reminded of your an
nouncement that your columns are open
to all, | ask for brief space to reply to
the article which appeared In your issue
OF Yesterday under the caption Down.
hams Dupllsity"
The document which will settle the
controversy concerning the blame of the
failure to call a constitutional conven-
tion, Is part Of the Senate Journal. and
from your standpoint it Settled" the
convention the day 1t was adopted.
There are several errors in your report.
which reference to the printed proceed.
ings OF the General Assembly will prove
1t Is true that the Senate killed the hill
passed by the House calling for consti-
tutional convention, but it Is not trua
that "the Senate passed bill without a
dissenting vote calling q convention
STRIFE ly in accordance with the constitu-
tion and the laws" The bill which the
Senate passed provided only for another
vote to be taken ''For Convention. or
Against a Convention" on the third
Tuesday in May. 1889. and not for
convention. as you say. The House sub
stituted for this bill, but not "by a strict
party vote, bill calling for another
vote outside the "unexceptionable mode. {"
You say this bill was illegal. " while
George Il. Bates, Esq Alfred p Robin.
son, ESQ, and other able attorneys.
both Democrats and Republicans. saw
1t Is legal and constitutional. The Senate
refused to accept this bill. adhering to
the 'unexceptionable mode" and upon
my motion committee of conference
was had
In that conference it was not 'evident
that the House conferrees would refuse TO
act outside their own bill, for we offered
to agree to bill calling vote on the
first Tuesday of November, 1887. the bill
to be an exact copy of the act passed by
the General Assembly of 1887, every
member thereof being Democrat, ex-
cept the year was to be changed from
1887 to 1883. The Democratic senators
refused this offer. / did say to Senator
Donahoe, whether with head hanging
in profound thought" or not, l do not
know, that the third Tuesday of Nav.
1899, then only few weeks off, was too
soon for another vote, and think every
honest convention man will assent to
that opinion.
rhe chief point of the article pub.
ished by the EVENING JOURNAL was to
slow that Senator Richardson said that
the time was not too short and Senator
Richardson Is as equally ardent Repubh.
can as Mr.. Downham, and a man of
far more discretion, influence and
ability EDITOR
1t was then that the offer was made to
change the date to the third Tuesday of
May, 1890, but our objection was to call
ing the vote under the restrictions OF the
"upexeeptionable mode" of the Ninth
article. The House oonferees urged
that the Senate could go as far towards
calling for another vote as it did in 1887.
since here were six holding over Demo.
cratic senators, by whose votes the act
authorizing the election on November /,
1887, was passed. Mr.. Donahoe and Mr.
Dorman refused to give vote in No
yember, 1889, and the several com
promises" to which you refer are confined
to a vote In May, 1889, or in May, 1890,
under the 'unexceptionable mode,
which mode even they did not claim as
the only mode. 1t is true that Senator
Richardson slgned thsir report, but he
did It as he said, because a half loaf
is better than no bread, and he thought
any vote, though Lot as he preferred ID.
WAC bCbtcA hbdl iit fOits MI. UHYlS and
!, Of the conferrees differed because we
desired to see the delegates, when chosen
for convention, elected by districts and
not throughout the whole county. Had
another vote been taken under the Sen
ate bill, and had the vote been sufficient.
the General Assembly to be elected next
Tuesday could only provide for the cleo
tion Of delegates ''at the same time and
in the same manner" as the members of
the next General Assembly are to be
elected, namely. in Novem Der, 1892, and
by counties The convention could not
convene before January, 1898 Believing
that the people want a convention. but
not under the "unexceotionab.e mode" "
the House sustained the report
made by Mr.. Davis and myself
against that mode, and as we
predicted in our report the people have
now the offer for a convention in 1891
two years before IL could have been held
under the Senate bill and without the
restrictions and limitations Of the "unex
ceptionable mode" Of the Ninth article.
II this Is ''duplicity, then plead guilty.
Having made your charge against "the
laxative statesman Downham," l be-
lieve you Will give him space for his re-
ply, for which consideration accept my
thanks in advance.
McKENDREE DOwNHAM.
Gaorrafor~n nrtoha, 90 fQQO