Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-09-24
Public Forum
The Constitution.

Editor Morning Journal;
Much has been said and written on
the question OF framing a constitution,
which / have read with interest, hut
rs I have just returned from a rip
through several OF the eastern states,
and have discussed with Is great many
people back there the matter af state
mood. constitution. etc. ! thought i
would take this opportunity of giving
expression 90 e few words on that sub
iect. II the editor viii be so kind as
20 allow me space.
The eyes of the people Of the e.. $.
are just now directed, in a great meas
ure, towards New Mexico and Arizona.
They have watched with interest the
struggle We have made for statehood.
and now that we are TO have it, their
curiosity Is aroused as 60 what we are
going L. do with It, In Il way the
majority are very glad that congress
gets a vote on the matter before We
are permitted TO take our seat, for
these old mother states Of ours are
very proud OF their constitutions, writ
ten. in many instances. by the abicst
men this Ountry has ever produced.
They are very sensitive when we throw
aside all precedence and try to belit-
tie them by holding up models that
possess but little semhlanee TO theirs
AS II saying TO them, The men who
wrote YOUR constitution were fools;
HERE is the way 20 prepare a eonsti-
tuition. and then exhibit Ia them q
conglomeration of fancy theurizings-
ideas that have never been tested
and which represent nothing more
than an e%ntangling nehula for the iut-
ure generations 60 wranglc over.
/ am not here 10 knock On the Ok
l4homa constitution or the Oregon
plan, for then you would say ! was %
+prejudiced republican and was only
looking ~ the matter from that stand
point. / am not going 10 knock OF any
particular constitution. but I am GER
tainly not I'm favor of throwing com
mon sense to the winds n framing "a
constitution that has never been tried
thoroughly. III there is any doubt Ia
the minds of the people of this ter
ritoTs i'm regard 40 these neN theories,
then lets take the benefit Of the
doubt and leave them out. We do not
want a constitution that viii merely
serve Us for the present, but one that,
like the constitutions of our mother
states. viii serve us for all time to
come. 40. we DO not want u that We
will have 70 adjust every few years.
for the people OF New Mexico should
conflne themselves for the next d.
cade az least. To the development OF
these vast resources and the proper
handling of the large masses of I'M
migrants which shall come into our
midst To establish homes, rather than
giving ourselves up TO political wrang-
les. constitutional amendments. etc,
and the way to do this Is Ia maxi an
easy, conservative constitution, after
the model OF the older states.
1 would suggest that a pamphlet be
gotten out by the territory giving d
constitutions of "a dozen or more states
at random tnot excluding the Okla
homa one and the Oregon planiD
and distribute thcrn amongst the diff
ferent schools of the territory, and
have the older pupils make a study
Of them. that they may be able 20 con-
verse with their parents, or others,
regarding what they contain.etc.; that
every voter bee supplied with copies or
same. that debating societies be or
ganized and the merits n dement's
of The different constitutions debated
upon. in fact. everything possible done
to cnlighten the people along this line,
so that when our constitutional dele
gates meet we can be able to instruct
them. hy letter or otherwise. as 90 the
sort OF constitution we want; and
when the time comes for us to vote on
the same. We shall know exactly now
10 vote. and why we voted that way,
Then we can hope 20 have a consti-
tuition we can live under n be proud
to defend Tor many generations 70
come. NICHOLAS NICKELBN.