The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-22
For a New Constitution.
San Antonio Express.

/ San Antonio Express.
/, Already several resolutions have been
! introduced in the State legislature at Aus
tin providing for submission to the quail
! fled voters of the State certain amendments
to the fundamental law. and 1T is not i'm
| probable that others Will follow.
| There are many particulars in which 1T Is
| desirable that the State Constitution should
| he amended, but the process OF patching
| is cumbersome, slow and unsatisfactory,
| and the purpose Is as apt to fail of accom-
| plishment as TO succeed, in most cases
generally through Indifference on the part
of the voters.
1t Is for these reasons that the sentiment
in favor of q constitutional convention and
the framing OF an entirely new instrument
has developed throughout the State and is
making itself felt at Austin. 1t is believed
by many persons that a controlling reason
for the indifference manifested by the, vot-
ers in regard to amendments submitted to
them, and for the disposition to reject
them all. has been desire to impress
upon the lawmakers the advisability Of
providing for new instrument, which
shall meet the changed conditions which
have come about in the last twenty years
and make 1t easier for the State to realize
the reasonable expectations of development
along all the lines Of industry. 1t is be-
iieyed that the defects in the organic law
would soon be cured. and new conditions
realized and provided for by convention
composed OF the ablest, purest ard best
minds of the State assembled for that pur-
pose. OF course it would still be left for
the public Judgment to ratify the new con-
stitution, but this would be vastly different
from the frequent submission of patch
work amendments upon which the average
voter Will persistently refuse to inform
himself so as to vote intelligently, il at ALL
since the present Constitution was adopt
ed the State has changed from a sparsely
settled plain to a populous commonwealth.
Wildernesses have blossomed into farms
and gardens and villages have grown to be
cities Railroads have multiplied many fold
and nave opened up new fields of industry
and enterprise, commercial, agricultural
and mechanical. and the Texas of today
is as unlike the Texas twenty years ago
as the infant In swaddling is unlike the
man grown to full height with whiskers.
There has been such growth in every di-
rection as has made the old clothes most
small, and the growth
Is still going on. This 1t is desired to aid
ana assist by encouraging laws which shall
meet all the requirements of the time, es-
peclaiiy such laws as will inspire the con-
nuence OF capital and enterprise and en-
courage progress and such as will reform
the system of taxation and Jurisprudence.
both civil and criminal. all of which are
confessedly in need Of revision.
II is not desired or expected in apy
quarter that there shall be such radical
changes MS will involve the loss of a single
feature of the present Constitution. which
mas met popular approval and that should
pc retained In the new Constitution. II is
simply the purpose to reform that which
needs reform. and to rebuild that which Is
worn out and should be discarded. In this
be engaged and when the work IL done II
VIII be approved as whole. Every IRON
,sition will be thoroughly discussed and
he convention. II made up as it should be
,hd doubtless would be- would take no
,n l.,i o. having ITS work rejected BY
You'd be approved by the people Of the
state. There is no occasion for further
patchwork when II is easier and cheaper
o provide an entirely new garment.