The L'Anse sentinel., 1907-10-12
PREPARATION FOR
DELEGATES WORK
Information Bureau Connected with
State Library win Provide all
Needed Information.
Lansing, Oct. Z, 1907.

bouSihS, Wv. i'Vs.
With the near approach of The
opening day OF the nstitutiona
convention, which will begin its ses
sions in Representative Hall Tues
day noon, Oct. %, we stand face tt
face with an event more importan,
to our state than any that has oc
Cured for many a year. This is
fully realized by thoughtful people
but there seems to be "a pretty large
class OF people who do not give much
evidence Of thoughtfulness, who may
be described as knockers on the
convention. The common form o.
their criticism is that it will be 6
waste OF effort, because the people
will vote down the revision. No mat
ter how desirable may be the instru
ment that shall be prepared, they
say, the voters will inevitably reject
it. This unreasoning declaration is
repeated by many who have no desire
to prejudice the effort in which the
state is engaged, and they have nc
reason for it except the impression
that such is the habit of the Michi.
gan voter-an impression fostered
by much repetition, but not sup.
ported by the facts.
Years ago, it is true, the disposi.
tion Of the Michigan voter was not
especially friendly toward proposi-
tions TO change the constitution for
the reason that he was not so well
informed about proposed changes as
be desired TO be. And yet, of the
thirty three amendments submitted
10 the twenty years previous to
1900, seventeen were adopted to six
teen rejected. Four propositions for
revision were also voted down in the
same period, though for three ol
them there were more yeas than
nays. But look now at the seven
years since-years OF trolley and
telephone and rural free delivery.
Twice he has passed upon revision.
rejecting it in 1904, though giving
forty-five thous nd majority for it,
and adopting it in 1906 with the
needed majority Of all voting at the
election, and OF thirteen amendments Is
submitted in that period he ratified
all but one. The attitude of the
Michigan voter at the present time
is favorable to any amendment that
comes with reasons behind it; and
he realizes the great need of revision.
The notion that he will turn his back
upon a revision regardless of its
merit. libels alike his intelligence
and his patriotism.
AS to the convention, there is
every reason TO expect good work
from 1t. Here in Lansing, as else
where in the state, the delegates are
commonly rated to rank high in
ability and character; and the con-
ventiOn will have access to stores OF
information hardly equaled by any
any convention ever assembled in
any state. A mass of literature and
works of reference covering every
line OF investigation and discussion
with which the convention will have
TO deal, will be available to the mem
bers at short notice in our unriveled
state library. 1t is no extravaganza
to call it unrivaled. The people OF
the state have become acquainted
with some OF the resources and ad-
vantages of the state library in
recent years through its admirable
system OF travelling and loan librar.
les by which standard books of in
struction and entertainment are
brought within the reach OF the
people OF any community, however
remote or humble.
But 1t is not these features to which
reference is here made. 1t is to the
volumes OF statute law, unequaled in
extent and scope by any other state
library except it may possibly be ln
New York and Massachusetts, and to
. collection OF constitutions embrac-
ing every state Of this Union, and
many South American, European
and other states. together with
former constitutions OF most Of the
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