Birmingham age-herald., 1895-01-22
WANTED-A CONSTITUTIONAL CON-
 MENTION,

W AN ELLA NOAt0llA V A1OAtaH OCA'
 MENTION.
 All political power Is inherent in the people, ard all free governments are founded on their authority and instituted for their benefit; and that, therefore. they have at all times an in- alienable and indefeasible right to change their form of government in such manner as they may deem xpedient.-Article l. Section 3, Constitution of Alabama.
 There is nothing absolute in constitu- tionai form of government as to details. On the contrary, the essential idea Is to provide for every logical emergency, exi- gency or change of environment. It IS important to move toward reform in full intellectual sympathy with this fact and in the true intent of living up 10 it. Every detail of the constitution Of Alabama as written down and ratified at the polls is q confession of lhe endeavor of that period to reach temperate and comprehensive organ izaton of industrial, social and politi- cal conditions then existing, subject al- ways to the elementary proposition of theory just cited. That much and no more is contemplated within the purview of the system. The only imperiahable feature of it is the "inalienRbie and inde- feasible right to change" details of opera tion. It is the antthesis of the original proposition Of government, "the king can do no wrong.' It is an evolvement along the eyer elongating line of the rights of man.
 There is, therefore, an elementary con- etitutional obligation with the people of Alabama to change the details of their organic law the better to promote the en- tighten ment of statute law. It is a simple duty to keep abreast with the surely re- curing emergencies of organized society. It is liberty incarnate 10 move when action represents the intellectual dealing with enviro nment.
 We want new constitution ip Alabama which will make secure the foundation of politics here when good government shall / fail, if fail it must, anywhere or every where else. No political community under the heavens is better prepared to live and prosper in independence than we are. If we will weigh with just balances the be- neficiences of nature and of accident about us we will arrive speedily at the conclusion that we are remiss in duty to ourselves when we daily with our opportunities to perfect our organic law upon the basis of State autonomy in full view of disturbing forces which prevail elsewhere.
 . the reverse, in the internal condition of Alabama, considered with the demand for new constitution. The body would de- liberate amidst very earnest differences of opinion, sectional opinion, il you please. So much the better. It is the high prov ince of an organic law to organize some- thing, not to dominate over nonentities. It is not compendium of platitudes, but rather a compromise Of record between ambitions, aggressive, expanding mate- rial interests, with ideas to suit among the masses. Granted that such interests are of the nature of things found in glo- rious Ala bama, we thus lay the predicate for a constitution. We have the example in the Federal constitution. This mar vicious document is the voice of rivalry be- tween sections and of the ambitions of States. Thus it stands as the secret of an impregnable national existence.
 It is idle folly to argue for the pacifca- tion of Alabama amidst the storm of fac- tions, whose complaints are latent in the very imperfections of our existing consti- tutions, before we undertake to frame one sufficient to establish the confidence of the people in themselves.
 It Is useless that the AGE HERALD should reiterate here it's own proposition laid down not for the first time this year, or last year or the year before, but with the very outset of the present unhappy division of our people, that we must have election laws so perfected thatt the government shall be the government of the people. An offer of opportunity to the people to vote upon the question, "Convention or no conven- tion,' unassociated with perfected regis tration and election laws, will not dissipate the right of the people to prolong their angry dissensions. This Legislature will not be guilty of lapse from duty so fragrant as to adjourn without accomplishing reform in the election laws satisfactory 10 sober minds everywhere.
 1t is not an isolated case of reform and reconstruction presented by Alabama. The Tillmau element in South Carolina have called Il constitutional conventions; the Republicans in New York have made new constitution; the Democrats in Ken lucky have made new constitution. h Tennessee the Democrats demand con- stitutionaI convention, and in Alabama the people must have a constitutional con- vention.