The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-04
WOULD COST ss5O,OOO
TO Hold a Constitutional Convention
Says Attorney General Dawes


Attorney General Dawes is quoted as
follows on the question of a cOnstitu-
tional convention;
There are many good reasons why
a constitutional convention should not
be called, but the principal one is be-
cause there is no necessity for going
to tine expense of holding One.'
"Don't YOU think the state stands in
need of a new constitution %
We stand in need of new consti-
tuition just about as bad as a cat needs
two tails"
'What do you think of the present
agitation of the subject2 Does it not
seem to be general over the state2"
Yes, there is a demand for some
thing but that something is not a
constitutional convention 7 have dis
cussed this question with q. great many
people and / find that almost univer-
sally the people are demanding just
two things. First, the right to vote
upon the question of constitutional
prohibition, second. that the number of
Justices OF the supreme court be in
creased so that litigation can be closed
UP within the lifetime of a reasonably
young man.
Now believe that great majority
Of our people demand those two things
/ think the people have a right to be
heard When any considerable num-
Der of our people want to vote on
given proposition, the legislature ought
to let them vote IF there is anything
ire people of Kansas like to do it is
You ask one Of these fellows why he
wants constitutional convention and
the answer will be- Why we want
to get rid of prohibition, and we want
more Judges of the supreme court
There they stop. These are the reasons
urged for it, Nothing else material
can be named. Now, I wish some
body would tell me what sense there
is in sQuandering a quarter of a million
dollars simply to give the people q
chance to vote on these two PROPOSE
tions Why beat about the bush2 Why
whip the devil around the stump"
Submit these two questions to vote
OF the people by two short amendments
to the constitution and in two years
we viii settle the whole matter and
that at an expense of not to exceed
$50 600 Why squander a quarter of a
million dollars to accomplish the thing
desired when it can be done Tor SzU,
0O02 Why not use common sense about
it and, like Lemuel CULVER, when the
palace was on fire. put it out in the
easiest, quickest and cheapest way,
even if the queen should not like the
particular mode in which 1T was done!
Suppose the legislature this winter
submits a vote of the people the
question of calling a convention; what
would the result be2 Every man Op-
posed to resubmissiOn of the prohlbl-
ton question would vote against ~;
every man who would fear they might
forget the $500 exemption from taxa
ton would vote against it; every one
who feared that under the new consul
tuition $50 acres of land might not be
exempt from execution would vote
AGAINST it, Why array all these forces
AGAINST what is wanted by submitting
it under cover Of a constitutional con-
vention2
1T seems to me it is a species Of COW
ardice to try to cover the question or
resublnission under the threadbare
cloak of o constitutional convention
-T4is r,rohil5ition question has got to
be voted upon sooner or later The
people are demanding it. Let US have
a fair. square fight upon it, OF with
the maskt Dissemble no more! Don
mean another No man puts on a
mask except when he wants to conceal
his identity IF we have to fight this
battle. let's fight it like men. IN the
enen 7eld. No true soldier ever had
any respect for bushwhacker. Leave
these daTnnable faces and begin