The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-09-22
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 It
to the popular vote.
Section 1, OF article Is. OF the State
Constitution OF 1886. lays down the form
In which any amendment or amendments
thereof proposed In the Senate and AS
sembly," shall pass two distinct Legls-
1atures, 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 of the same article provides
that In the year 1866, and every twenty
years thereafter, the question. Shall
| there be convention to revise and
amend the Constitution" shall be sub
| mitted to the people, and II II shall be
decided In the affirmative by a majority
OF the electors qualified to vote for mem
bers of Assembly, the Legislature at It's
next session shall provide by law for the
| election of delegate s to such Convention.
The pref 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 reyisions
and amendments proposed by n Con-
| stitutional Convention need not be On
submitted, but can be made part and
parcel OF the Constitution by proclama-
ton and nlinR with the Secretary of
State.
This is a false and fraudulent pretense.
and ia advanced by the Republicans TO
cheat the people by whose vote thew
fear their partisan amendments protect-
ing Trusts and pervertine fair repre-
sentatIon will be rejected
The Constitution of 1916 was submitted
to the people for approval and ratif,ca-
ton before II could become lucrative
! Why should any convention called in
pursuance of Its authority have greater
| power than the original Convention?
The Convention of 1866, held I'm pursu-
ance to the order of the people. made n
revised constitution which was sub
mitted to the people in the general cleo
ton of 1869, and was rejected by n vote
OF 223, 935 in its favor and 200. 456 against
It. The amendments relating to the
Judiciary, providing n uniform rule OF
assessment for real and personal prop
erty. and recurring n property oualiflca-
| ton for colored voters, were submitted
| separately, and the first only was
adopted.
II the revised Constitution had not re-
quired submission to the people. the
| fact would have been known then.
especially az Samuel ], Tilden. Judge
| Ira Harris. Henry C. Nurphy and
others who had been delegates 10 the
| Convention Of 1916 were delegates Also
to that OF 1866
But the intent OF the Constitution ia
made plain by article 10. which was
added as late as 1874. This provides that
when not otherwise specified "all
amendments to the Constitution shall
be I'm force from and including the first
day of January succeeding the election
at which the same were adopted." This
ia the only provision fixing the data
when all amendments shall he In force
md shows that all amendments must no
adopted by the vote OF the peop,e
The first State Constitutional Con-
yention ever held since the Revisiona,
Convention of 1901. presided over Inv
Aaron Burr. was called I'm 1921 nv N vote
OF llO, 900 against a5.OOo The Constitu-
ton II framed was admitted m the
people in 1922. and ratified nv vote
OF 5000 against Al OOO The only obtec-
ton made to this convention. according
| to Streets Council OF Revision" was
because II did not provide for suh-