The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-12
CONSTITUTION MAKING IN NEW
YORK.

The constitutional convention now in
session at Albany, n. Y. appears to be
likely to disappoint those who expected
radical reforms. So far as the actions of
the committees indicate. the convention
will tread in the beaten path, and will con-
fine its innovations to matters of detail.
IL is pretty certain that it will reject
women suffrage, and it is not certain that
1t will put an end TO appropriations Of
State money for sectarian purposes. Re-
forms in the methods of voting in cities
may be expected, and it is possible that
an attempt will be made to purify the sys-
tenn by which the vices Of The community
are made a source Of plumber for The pO-
lice. There will be hot contest over the
attempt to limit the supervision of NUM-
cipalities by the Legislature; it is impos-
sible to see how it will end. But as
whole, the prospect is that the new con-
stitution will not embrace many wide de-
partures from the constitution of 1916.
When the political sky is serene, people
are afraid of innovations. They would
rather bear the ills they know than fly to
remedies which are an unknown quantity.
The old States are living under cODstitu-
tions which are hoary with age. Yer
mont's constitution was drawn in 1885,
Names in 1919, Connecticuts about as
long ago, Rhode Islands and Delaware's
in the thirties. Many of the States west
of Pennsylvania are still living under con-
situations which are forty years old. Thus.
Ohio's constitution was adopted in 1851,
IndIana's in the same year, Wisconsin 8
in 1S4S, Michigan's in 1850. Another list
of States adopted constitutions in the dec
ade before the war, and still adhere to
them. Thus. Minuesota's present consti-
tuition dates from 1858, Iowa's from 1857,
V irgins's from 1859. that of Kansas from
1861. The centennial period appeared to
be a favorte season for constitution max
ing and constitution tinkering. Colorado
adopted her constitution In 1876. Missouri
accepted new constitn lion in 1875, Cali
fornia in 1879. Pennsylvania in 1876 Ne
braska in 1875, West Virginia in 1872,
Georgia in 1877, Louisiana in 1879. Ala
bama in 1875, Texas in 1876. All these con-
situations have been amended from time
to time in matters of detail; few sessions
of any Legislature pass without some con-
stitutional amendments being adopted for
submission to the people. But, leaving out
of view the new States which have lately
been admitted to the Union. it may be
said roundly that the organic instruments
now in force in the States have been in
operation for twenty years or more to the
general contenrment.
The law of New York requires the
Legislature to make provision every twenty
| years for the assembling of a convention
20 revise the constitution. This enact
ment was predicated on the belief that the
conditions Of life change every twenty
years or Whereabouts. and that laws which
were fair and wise at the beginning of a
twenty-year period might be unfair and
| impolitic at its end. New emergencies
arise; new wrongs crop up; new cases are
developed which call for relaxation OF
the restrictions laid on the Legislature by
the constitution. legislative abuses come
to light which call for further limitations
| on the power Of the lawmaking body. Bu
| 1t has quite frequently happened not only
in the State of New York, but in Other