The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-02-05

question has narrowed itself down to
 one of revtsional method. This gives weight to the demand that a body
 created for the special purpose shall do
 it's own compiling and revising, thus
 leaving the general assembly to per
 form the important and pressing duties
 required of it without imposing an un-
 necessary burden. It puts premium
 upon reasonable speed, since the need of
 reform is admitted. It finally puts to
 the test the ability of the people of Con-
 necticut to discharge the trust reposed
 in them by the fathers.
 l The association cannot overlook the
 experience of Connecticut during the { deadlock period of 1891 when govern
 ment broken down" and "a state of peaceful anarchy" suspended the pow
 CTS of the executive and legislative branches and made an adequate appeal
 to the Judiciary impossible. That ex- perience, during which the sacred ob- legations of the state were assumed by a seml-pubic corporation not designat- ca by law for any such service, brought nome to every supporter of law and or der concrete and humiliating object lesson in the great danger of consti- tuition no longer responding quickly and effectively to the needs of the peo- pie. It was the great patience of the citizens of Connecticut and their devo- tion to the abstract laws of faith and justice that saved the state from ever- lasting disgrace and discredit The es- cape was narrow one, and has made constitutional reform ever since verit- able test of the Connecticut conscience.
 The basis of American institutions rests upon the consent of the governed and the principle of representative con- trol. We believe these essentials will best be conserved, and the evils, which their denial or evasion must breed, will best be escaped by an appeal to the peo- pie to organize a convention and take upon their own shoulders full responsi- blllty for the government under which they shall consent to live. We have profound confidence in their faith, in tradition and precept, and in their abil- lty to provide conservatively for chang ed conditions and modern needs.
 FolloWing fs a copy of the bill re- ferred to above:
 State of Connecticut,
 General Assembly,
 January Session, A. D. 1901. An Act to Provide for the Calling of a
 Constitutional Convention. Be it enacted by the Senate and House
 Of Representatives in General As-
 sembly convened
 Section i. The question is hereby submitted to the electors of this state | whether a convention shall or shall not be called for the purpose of framing in 1 the manner and under the limitations and restrictions of this act, 8 form of constitution for the state of Connecti- | cut to be proposed to the electors of this | state for their adoption or rejection | The annual town meetings which shall | be held in the several towns of this state and in the several voting districts of those towns which are divided into [ voting districts, on the first Monday of f October. 1901, for the election of town officers shall also be held for the pur- pose of deciding said question, and for [ the further purpose of electing dele- gates to such convention, if said ques- ton shall be decided in the affirmative, and in those towns of this state and in the several voting districts of those towns which are divided into voting which do not hold their annual town meetings for the election of town officers on the first Monday of Oc>>her, there shall be held special town meet ings on said first Monday of October. A. D. 1901, for the purpose of deciding said question and of electing said delegates f. to said convention if said question shall be decided in the affirmative, but f. not otherwise; and notice that said question shall be voted upon and said delegates elected shall be given in the warnings of said annual and said spec Ial town meetings
 Sec. g. The ballots to be used in vot- ing whether said convention shall or shall not be called in addition to the official endorsement shall contain only the words, Constitutional Convention, Yes, or Constitutional Convention, No", and shall be furnished by the sec retary of state printed ready for use in , the same manner as provided in Chap ter 213 of the Public Acts of 1897, and shall be rf uniform size quality, color, thickness and style of printing for each ballot, to be determined by the secre- ary. :, See 3. Said ballots shall be distribu- ed, voted, counted, canvassed and the l 'esult of such vote in each town and I yoting district declared and returned to t he secretary of the state in the same ( manner, by the same officers and within | he same time after election as Is by t aw provided in the case of the votes for I governor, and the said votes shall be by the secretary, treasurer , md comptroller at the Capitol in Hart e ord on or before the first day of No- i; ,ember, 1901, and the result shall with |, n five days thereafter be certified by ', hem or majority of them to the gov 6 rnor, who shall forthwith issue his a proclamation declaring that said con- + 'ention has or has not been called by o aid electors as it shall appear from n aid certificate of the secretary, treas !, rer and comptroller, or majority of a hem t Sec. 4. The said constitutional con- W ention shall consist of one delegate to S aid convention from each town in the " tate, and of twenty-four delegates r lected from the state at large regard r ess of their particular residences; and a t said town meetings held as afore- " aid there shall be chosen in the same D manner as representatives in the gene Ii al assembly are now chosen, one dele II n ta n cai5 nonvartinr from anr11 | |