The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-10-31

turo, not the judiciary, not even the peo.
pIe whom they extol az the fountain OF
political wisdom. In one OF the new
states there are ninety prohibitions
supon the legislature in this single mat
ter of special legislation;" IN another,
the constitution "even fixes the time
within which a judge must render bis
de ecisiop;" in North Dakota, it trequlres
the SUP, eme court of the state to 90 the
work cf tho reporter, Ito prepare sy!-
iabus Of tho points adjudicated In each
caso." The primary purpose OF con-
stltution Is to create and define a govern
ment: its next is to secure personal and
political rights and establish few o. the
great and fundamental principles OF
government. To these may be added
certain restrictions upon the admiulstra'
tive forces of government--the leelsla'
tive, executive and judicial, But such
restrictions must extend no further than
these administrative agencies; that ls,
thew must not bind tbs principal, the
body polite. The convention tor the
better security Of the people may tell
future legislatures how they must WORK
but not what they must do. Governor
Russell rightly argues that those later
state constitutions ara evidences OF dis.
trust. They show that society n those
states does not trust itself in tho selec-
ton of lts own legislative representa-.
tiyes; that the people though they do not
saw to king "Come and rule over US,
does say to convention, "Come aud
take care of US; we have Weakened; We
have not the power Of self.government
which our fathers had" 1t is not un.
likely that,some future historian after a
careful study of our modern state constl'
tutions will philosophically formulate as
a law Of political sciences, "The longer
q constitution tho weaker tho people and
tho more corrupt the community
Central Law Journal.
-
This is a Tree country, and when the
right is denied any man to differ with
others, the would.be leaders who at
tempt such gag rule will find them
selves badly LETT. Why, certain polltl-
clsns and newspapers ara now trying TO
rule every man out of the reform party
that docs not support constitutional
convention. We'll, it is our impression
that when tho experiment is tried these
bosses will find they have bitten OF more
than theY can well chew. When free
born American citizen is asked to stran-
gle his own views and support measure
lust because our ''leaders" SO advise,
he will 90 most too far. Now, let US
see how this constitutional convention
takes IN South Carolina: The Lexlng-
ton Dispatch. one Of the ablest reform
papers in our State, and that has done
great work for the movement, has taken
a decided stand against convention,
unless submitted to tho people. The
Yorkville Yeoman. another paper estab-
Ilished by tho farmers, and that is q
staunch supporter of Gov. Tillman in its
last issue says that tho people will not
support a constitutional convention un-
| less they have voice in saying whether
or rot they will adept it whom made. a
farmer, writing IN the last issue Of the
Cotton Plant, takes decided stand
against convention. He argues:
"Ths matter of this convention is no
new thing before tho people, for it has
tesn before them in other elections, but
| il seems that it has been voted down on
every occasion, and why is it thus? We
will speak only for tho farmers that sur
round our immediate neighborhood. We
know their sentiments and fears as re-
CARDS this convention; now it ls admit
ted that the State constitution was iralm-
ed by the Republican party. Lot that be
as it may. There is one part of that
constitution that has been ever since it
was framed protection to the farmers
and poor widows and children Of our
State who mightin 7arious ways become
involved and be thrown out into tho
world without house or homo. Aud
that part is tho part of tho homestead
law, and We know that there is strong
opposition to that one feature of the con-
stituhon, and that is just why IN our
minds that tho convention has always
been voted down-was tho fears that if
there was ever constitutional conven-
ton called that we would not know who
that convention might be composed OF
whether it would be made up of mon that
believed in some protection, or men that
have been long wishing to see the day
come to get the opportunity to wipe
out that feature as part of the constitu-
ton. There may be some parts OF the
old constitution that really ought to be
changed, and some might think that
that worry homestead feature is the one
that ought to be changed, but somehow
or other We that have seen the good
there has been in 1t to some people
don't think 30, unless it can be changed
to make it better by making il good
against all mortgages, or anything else
that might be likely to upset it; that is
the way we think 1t should b., saf.
against any and all things"
So far as Spartanburg county is con.
cerned, unless great revolution takes
place IN public sentiment in the next two
weeks, we will roll up a maj orlty of be-
tween Two and three thousand against
holding a convention. We have con-
versed with al least three hundred farm.
ers and reformers from different
sections, and are yet to find
the first man who will support q
convention, unless it is submitted to the
people for ratification or rejection. We
also believe that Geanvllle and Union
will vote against it. In the latter county
Hon. Godfrey B. Fowler made the race
for the legislature as an opponent to the
convention, and was nominated by a
large majority. The objections that our