The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-01
1T is A TRICK.
The Cons titutional Convention.

Inc Ions tltutlOnal convention.
We expressed the other day our
fears that the proposed constitutional
convention was trick of the enemy
to further enslave the people. Many
things have occurred since to confirm
us in this view. It passed in the Sen
ate 81 to IA. If it had been in the in
terest Of the people the figures would
have been reversed. And then Sena-
tor Stevens Of St. Paul made aspeech
on the question which "let the cat
out of the bag" For the Senator,
while personally pleasant gentle
man, is one of the shrewdest, subtlest
and most interchangeable agents of
Plutocracy that ever cursed any COM
monwealth. Here is the St. Paul
Globe report of what he said:
Senator Stevens spoke of the import
ance of the bill, and said every lawyer
knew of it's Importance. A constitution
should be considered deliberately. 1t
should have all the restraints on legisla-
ton which the people in their wisdom
deem advisable, and should place no re-
straints which the people did not desire to
impose. He called attention to the dis
turbed condition of the country, prior to
the war, when the old constitution had
been framed There was then a financial
panic. That was a masterpiece. After the
war there was an expansion of finances
which caused many amendments until the
present constitution is mere patchwork
There are a dozen more amendments pro-
posed Some of the old amendments were
ipadviSod q Soi fho inc boS for
deliberate action. The red flag may wave
in Paris or in Chicago, but for Minnesota
there is no flag save the stars and stripes.
The people of this state are not disposed to
Cypress or to allow conflict between cap
ital and labor. Now is the time to deliber-
ate a new constitution. Nearly every
state has had constitutional revision
since the war, and Minnesota needs a
constitutional convention. The bill SUBJ
mits to vote of the people as to whether
they desire such convention"
Observe:-"Th time had come for
deliberate action. The red flag may
wave in Paris or Chicago, but for Min
nesota there is no flag save the stars
and stripes."'
What does all this "poppy-cock"
stuff mean? No red-flag has ever
waved in Minnesota, that we ever
heard of, except the auction flags, and
these have been very promiscuous of
late under the G.. o. P. misgovern-
ment.
But what has the red flag of Paris
and Chicago to do with a constitu-
tional convention in Minnesota?
Simply this:-that it is intended, (if
the people vote for cons titutional
convention,) to put restraints on the
liberty of the citizens, under the ter
ror of anarchists that live somewhere
else: and thus rob US of our ancient
rights as free men, and chain US help
lesSlY to the chariot of Plutocracy. This
is the feast that is being prepared for
us:-to be put through by the same
10000 plurality which swept the state
last year. They may even slip In an
article that will make such newspa-
per as THE REPRESENTATIVE a crime,
and consign all connected with it to
the states prison.
And observe, again, what Stevens
says: "The people of this state are
not disposed to Cypress, or to ALLOW
conflict betaceen capital and labor" This
is said as a reason for having a consti-
tutional convention; therefore they
propose to put something into that
new constitution to prevent conflict.
How? Well, it might be declared a
crime. for instance, for any workman
to refuse the wages offered him; or to
combine with other warkmen to i'm
>nrcYe. the condition of Limself~and