The Detroit times., 1908-01-24
BURY INITIATIVE IN
C0A-C0N BY Z
VOTES
FLEIscHHAuER SUBSTITUTE FOR
HEMANs PROPOSAL PERMITS
81 LEGISLATORS TO MAKE DUN
MES OF 100000 ELECTORS.


Nrfom special Corresponoent)
LANSING. Mich, Jan. 2i.--Corpor-
ate greed and political bossism com.
bined. yesterday dominated the con.
stitutional convention and practically
and TO all intents and purposes killed
the initiative proposal. The will OF
the people has been ignored and again
Ii is demonstrated that they are deem.
ed too ignorant TO have a voice In tue
government of this great state Of
Michigan.
The Hemans proposal. on second
reading. was emasculated by two
votes. The substitute passed is con
sidered worse than the present law
covering the initiating of amendments
Whereas the old section provides that
amendments TO the constitution may
be submitted TO the electors on two
thirds vote OF each house OF the leg
islature, the new section gives the
right to the legislature TO say whether
an amendment, petitioned for by about
100000 voters. can go TO the people
and a petition is required TO have
nearly that number before proposed
amendment can even be considered.
The emasculated proposal says that
20 per cent OF the electors or Men
igan can initiate an amendment TO the
constitution, but IL cannot be submit
ted TO a popular vote If a majority d
the legislature, on joint ballot
decides that Ii shall not be submitted
In fact. this means that while almost
l0O. 900 electors may petition for an
amendment TO the constitution, %
members of the legislature can refuse
10 submit II.
The big question was taken up late
In the afternoon and when every one
OF the SO delegates was present. Tne
opposition apparently had marked up
their men, knew TO nicely mat they
had the majority and could therefore
force the result under gag rule. AS
il was second reading. this plan eouid
be carried out with telling effect.
As to the First Section.
The first section. which simply re-
adopts section of article 20, OF the
present constitution. for amendments
TO the constitution by twofnirds ma
iority OF both houses, OF course passed
without protest.
The real fight began on the new
section to be added. which contains
the initiative principle. Before this
started. bar of the convention was
ordered ana every delegate brought
to his seat. AS soon as the presi-
dent announced the second section
under consideration, Delegate Fleisch>
hauer took the floor and offered a sub
stitute for the Hemans proposal as
agreed TO in committee of the whole.
He then said that he did not intend
10 make a speech, but as there seem
ed no chance for the two factions 10
get together he believed that this OF.
fered the best hopes for ratification
by the people.
A Lemon 10 the People.
Delegate Pratt Jumped 10 his-feet
and declared that the substitute would
not do, and that this was not in any,
sense a compromise measure, but only
expressed the ideas OF the opposition.
Then he added in sharp, cutting
tones:
"You are simply holding out lem
on TO the people. They can spend
their money to put through an amend
ment. the legislature can say we
won't, and the people are left"
Delegate Gore said ne did not desire
to go into the merits OF the matter. as
they had already been well aired. but
he believed that this substitute was
common ground whereon the dele
gates should meet
Common ground. snorted Head,
yes. there is common ground, but
this is all your ground and kills the
very principle for which we are con-
tending. The Hemans proposal Is