The evening world., 1894-09-22
PROPOSING TO CHEAT THE PEOPLE

PROPOSING TO CHEAT THE PEOPLE
A scheme has been Matching for some
time to cheat the people and smuggle
through the new partisan Republican
State Convention without submitting II
to the popular vote.
Section !, OF article 10, OF the State
Constitution of 1916, lays down the form
in which any amendment or amendmsn
thereof proposed in the Senate and As
sembly" shall pass two distinct Legis-
latures, and provides that after they
have so passed they shall be submitted
TO the people and shall become part OF
the Constitution only II approved and
ratified by a majority OF the electors
qualified to vote for members OF the
Legislature and voting thereon.
Section 2 of the same article provides
that in the year 1866, and every twenty
years thereafter, the question. shall
there be n convention to revise and
amend the Constitution shall be sub
mitted to the people. and II II shall be
decided In the affirmative by Il majority
of the electors qualified to vote for mem
bers of Assembly, the Legislature at Its
next session shall provide by law for the
election of delegates 90 such Convention.
The pretense is that the submission to
the vote of the people for approval and
ratification Is only required when the
amendments are proposed In the Senate
and Assembly, and that the revisions
and amendments proposed by a Con-
stitutional Convention need not be so
submitted, but can be made part and
parcel of the Constitution by proclama
ton and filing with the Secretary Of
| State.
| This Is a false and fraudulent pretense,
and Is advanced by the Republicans to
cheat the people by whose vote they
fear their partisan amendments protect
ing Trusts and perverting fair repre-
sentation will be rejected
| The Constitution OF 1876 was submitted
to the people for approval and ratifca-
ton before 1t could become operative.
Why should any convention called in
pursuance OF Its authority have greater
power than the original Conventions
The Convention of 1866. held in pursu-
nnce to the order of the people, made a
revised constitution which was sub
mitted to the people in the general cleo
ton of 1869, and was rejected by vote
1t. The amendments relating to the
Judiciary. providing a uniform rule OF
assessment for real and personal prop
erty. and requiring property qualihca-
ton for colored voters, were submitted
separately. and the first only was
adopted.
If the revised Constitution had not re-
quired submission to the people. the
fact would have been known then
especially as Samuel ]. Tllden, Judge
Ira Harris. Henry C. Murphy and
others who had been delegates to the
Convention Of 1916 were delegates also
to that of 1865.
But the intent OF the Constitution Is
made plain by article 16, which was
added as late as 1874. This provides that
when not otherwise specified, al
amendments to the Constitution shall
be in force from and including the first
day OF January succeeding the election
at which the same were adopted" This
is the only provision fixing the dat,
when all amendments shall be In force
and shows that all amendments must b,
adopted by the vote of the people.
The first State Constitutional Con
| VtUIOI tNtT bluCo tno INtNlslOHu
Convention Of 1901, presided over by
Aaron Burr, was called in 1921 by a vot,
Of 10000 against 5000. The Constitu
| ton 1t framed was submitted to tn,
people in 1892 and ratified by a vot,
Of 5000 against 4, 900. The only objec
, ton made to this convention. according
to Streets Council OF Revision" wa
because Il did not provide for sub
hitting the new Constitution TO tn
, people in sections instead of as n whole
The Convention of 1916 was called b,
a vote of $4,000 to $4,000, and the Con
stitution II framed was adopted by tn
people by a vote of 222 900 to 10000.
I The Convention OF 1867 was ordered b
h a vote of 222,0 to $1,000, and its Con
o stitution, except as to the Judiciar
article. was rejected by the people
In the face of all this the Constitu
II tional Convention at Albany yesterda
started the pretense that no submis
sion to the people of the partisan Cor
stitution they are framing is needed
and that the instrument would becom
a law without 1t. In the evening
3 resolution was adopted providing ths
n all future constitutions shall becon
laws only by vote OF the People. l.,
the people now keep a sharp lookou
=, Does this cover the present Convention
b work? Is 1t not a trick intended
II smuggle through without a vote, II poss
BILE. the partisan Constitution now beir
framed?
= The Republicans fear the people ar
t will bear watching.
D Forewarned Is forearmed.