Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-01-02

constitution.
NO more important duty car pos
sibly devolve upon a people than thu
t establishment Of the fundamental law
that forms the basis Of their govern
ment. 1t should o be hastily done
carelessly done. nor certainly in dis
regard of the better opinion of the
people of the whole nation Of which
we wish to be a component part.
THE fact. then. that the president
and ultimately congress itself may
have TO approve our constitution would
in advance secure our best effort ia
make the best possible one. We would
be less apt to make mistakes, if we
knew hat we might not secure the APP
prevail of N constitution. but better
still, if Wc made radical mistakes they
would not be irrcmediable.
"Belicying. therefore, that the chief
objection to our admission. this fear
OF an Objectionable constitution. could
be removed thereby. | have prepared
and after consulting with a number Of
people in Washington as well as here.
am sending a draft of an enabling act
providing that after we shall have
framed and adopted our constitution
that il shall be subject to the approval
Of the president: that If he approve
it. he shall issue his proclamation de-
claratorY of that fact, whereupon we
at once become a state of the union
that in the event the president refuses
or neglects to act, say within twenty
,hs Il irf T. dave that tho ff1nttpr no G1gh-
mittcd to congress for its action. This
plan will not delay our admission q
day beyond the time prescribed in the
other form Of procedure. il our con-
stitutlon should meet with approval
1t removes the objection of the fear
that congress now cntertains of a vi
cious or an impracticablc constitution
and affords to us the greatest incentive
for care in the formation of our state
government. IND is the logical meth
cd of procedure. The p-cn will save
Us from mistakes. from winch ii might
otherwise take us a generation to re-
cover.
u do not suppose that the people
Of Arizona would wish to frame a con-
that would not meet the APP
prevail Of the best enlightened senti-
mcnt Of the representatives of the en-
tire country 7 can myself see nc OBJ
to the plan-and it Is not a
departure from the ~precedents, but a
to the older and more logical
ones.
Il have also in the draft Of the bin
| have prepared. provided for a
Constitutional convention of seventy
members. This number | selected be-
cause it would give sukxssr county at
least two delegates to TTHsFonvention
md yet provide for their apportion-
lnent among all the counties in ap-
proximately the proportion of number
" votes asst by them ~respcatiyolv at
last general election, NrW5M1A
il permits. if that can be agreed upon
distribution Of the delegates fairly
between the two political parties. OF
course no such provision would go
into the enabling act. but | think that
one of the best assurances Of a good
constitution would be its preparation
regard 70 political bias or adj
vantage of any partv. The W leading
in the territory could easily
agree that the candidates for delegates
10 the constitutional convention should
be divided fairly equally among all
he parties. This would ensure the
election OF delegates without "A poll
.ical contest ana would. | think. have
1 tendency to the selection OF the best
men Nor do | think the number, scv
'nty. is too large for rapid ana for
Effective work.
VIII he at Front.
when the committees in the sen
ate and in the house take up the
bills, I expect to be in Wash
ngton to be of whatever assistance
The hcsitancy of congress to aci
IT once is the fear that l ave suggest
a.. OF an in considered constitution
the new states. | believe the plan
| have outlined viii allay that
ear. and / see no other way TO avoid
/ completely. Congress wants 10 be-
of an acceptable constitution
md this plan insurcs it.
Replies TO Objections.
Discussing the governors plan the
Phoenix Republican says.
Two COMMUNICATION 10 Alt lttpuu-
lean this morning dissent from the
iugegstion lately offered by Governor
<ibbcy. of a provision ia the enabling
let which would vest the president
with the right to pass finally upon
he character of any constitution Ari- {
iona might adopt; II a is. power to
determine whether the constitution I
resides being republican in form and !
a conformity with the constitution Z
If the United states. may be- la all I
aspects a good constitution Z
one of these correspondents objects Z
% the plan on the ground that il )
would be an admission of our unfit z
less 10 prepare "a constitution. The {
'thcr believes that our consent would I
De- accepted by congress as evidence oil Z
'ur unfitness for SELF government. :
w do not think that either objcc- ?
ion * valid. In the first place no
nan in Arizona believes that an
constitutional convention. Civ I
~ the widest latitude. would draft }
constitution that would fail TO meet Z
hc approval of SO broad-mindcd a )
PRESIDENT AS Air. TAFT viii De-. Most I
II us do not believe that the intelli- I
,ent people OF Arizona would ratif, :
uch q constitution as Mr. TAFT would 2
approve Therefore. los the adon- :
ion of the governors plan. we would Z