The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-07
THE CONVENTIONS DURATION.

THE CONVENTIONS DURATION. The opinion seems to be gathering. fl ! expressions of press and people are to be trusted, that the Convention is mov-
 ing too slowly with its work. There | is a disposition manifest~to criticise the body as being too full of talk and as not dispatching business promptly. This criticism is to a certain extent merited, but it is not altogether just. The people have probably been led to | expect too much of the Convention. for two reasons. In the first place. they consider the fact that the Legislature | apparently intended the Convention to sit only fifty days because the appro- priation was made for the expenses of the body for that period. h the sec ond pJace. they recall the Convention of 1875. which made the present Con- | situation in only twenty-seven days. The Legislature was evidently guided | too much by the result of the Conven- tion of '7s and not enough by the difference in the conditions then and | now. So practically the two grounds | for the complaint alluded to merge l into the one. The Convention of '75 met under a stress of conditions. The people were so weary of the Repubii- can Constitution that they were keen to get back to the old one
 which had been supplanted. Further l bn ho1 hut single purpose, viz: to fix things so | the Republicans could do little harm If they should return to power. Hence the Convention of '75 had little trouble in agreeing. The members were for the most part forced to be all of one mind. They picked up the old Consti- tuition, which had been cast aside by reconstruction, made few changes in it to keep the carpet-baggers from do- ing any harm in the future, arranged for every economy possible. and ad- journed.
 Today the conditions are different. The State has outgrown the old Con- stitution in many respects. There is no Republican reconstruction sword of Damocles hanging imminent. The Convention Is free to broaden and deepen. There Is abundant room for differences and discussion. It is proper that the Convention take all the time necessary to devise the best consti- only of today. but of the generation to come.
 Nevertheless, 1t does look as If the Convention is open to some criticism. There is too much small talk on small matters by men who sometimes make themselves appear small. There ought to be abundant discussion by the members who are capable of assisting the Convention to decide rightly The trouble so far has been that there has not been enough of that sort of talk by that class of members. They are evidently held in check by the flow of small talk on trivialities, par liamentary points and unimportant amendments. If some one were to make list of the heNnumber of times various members had been on the floor. 1t would be very instructive. It would unquestonably demonstrate that some men have talked altogether too much and others not enough.
 The Convention Is clearly un- wieldy.i It has too many members. It was a great mistake to have put 155 delegates into it. It was done against the better judgment of the wiser leaders, in order to ensure the ordering of the Convention. So many m ,mbers of the Legislature wanted to make room for themselves and their political friends that 1t was deemed expedlent to make the Convention btg enough to admit all the embryonic Senators. Governors, Congressmen, Su| preme Court Judges, Solicitors, etc. The result is that there are probably fifty-five members too many in the body. But, of course, 1t IS too late now to cry over split milk. 4
 The next, and probably the more se- rious, trouble with the body is its pos session of so many prospective candi- dates. It is common talk that so and so are talking to the people on this or that line because they are aspirants for this or that offlce. Much of this talk may be unjust. but when this or that strong man frequently talks about the dear people," and shows great concern lest some of their alleged rights be interfered with, a good many of the dear people are liable to be suspicious. There ought to be more heard of what is right, of what is most expedient to correct admitted evils. of what is fair of what is brave and just. The general tone of the discussions is frequently pitched on too low a key. There Is too much of a spirit of pleas ing the people manifested. There should be more of determination to devise the best, most effective. most permanent organic law.
 Some one may say it is easy to crit
 cise the Convention and to point out these defects but what is the remedy. That is indeed a hard question. Per haps the best remedy for these defects is a prompt manifestation of the public opinion a good part of the Convention apparently stands so much in awe of, If the people in the various counties. tA that. y,oo,,thniaoaa ha narc