Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-10-16
MANY WEIGHTY
QUESTIONS To
BE: SETTLED
SECOND WEEK OF THE
CONVENTION AT AN END
indications Are That Referen-
dun viii Be a Part of Con-
Stitution When 1t Is Finally
Framed,
Ispeclal nispstch to the Morning JournaII

FIdlll6Q,
| Ispeclal Dispatch to the Morning JournaII
Santa Fe \. NJ, oct 15.-The end
OF the second week of the convention
which is engaged in the important
work OF drafting q constitution for
the state Of New Mexico, finds that
body hard at work with considerable
progress made toward the completion
Of the task, While several sessions of
| the convention were marked by SEEM
ngly trivial debates and political
medicine making, the real work OF
the delegates has been in committees,
which have laborcd early and late.
Articles have been drafted, re-draft-
| ed and drafted again hy sub-commt-
tees only 10 be rejected by the full
committees, and none Of the reports
are as yet ready to be submitted to
the convention. 1t is too early 70
| predict with any degree OF certain-
! ty what viii be the final action on
amy OF the matters which are likely to
! cause controversy in the convention.
! Principal among these subjects Is thar
/ Of direct legislation which has many
| advocates among the delegates and
I likewise many opponents. There is
/ q certain element among the repub-
| licans that Is opposed TO the principle
Of government absolutely ana there is
| an element among the democrats
| which is just as formidable an OBJ
stacle to It's adoption as the most re-
dictionary OF the republicans This Gle
ment among the democrats is COM
posed of those delegates who insist
upon the Oregon plan of the initiative
| and referendum and win be satisfied
| with nothing else. These are the men
who do not want statehood at this
time and who believe II political ad-
vantage can be obtained by waiting
until the next congress. and base this
hope on the belief that the next house
of representatives Will be democratic.
on the other hand, are the real
friends Of statehood, both democrats
and republicans, and who are dispob-
ed TO be reasonable and adopt con-
stituuon which win be approved by
the people and which Will contain
nothing that win cause its rejection
at the hands OF congress- AiisAy Of ].
the republicans honestly favor the iIfA
| itiatiyc and the referendum. ana near
~ all Of them favor the latter, and
II can be said To be almost certain
that the referendum viii be part or
the constitution when Il rs finally
framed The fate OF the initiative IS
ltiFS UHHuItAlf lINNhfi - ~ llNi ilHIfitb-
able that this principle IN modified
form may also be Incorporated. one
suggested form OF the initiative con-
tains the provision that laws initiat-
ed shall first be submitted 20 the leg
islature ana II that body fails to en-
act them, then they are submitted TO
popular vote, and il approved by
the people. at once become law. Per-
centages ranging from 10 to 8 arc
suggested as the proper proportion
Of the people to initiate q law. provid-
ing this. or a slightly lower percen-
tage, of the people In q majority of
the counties sign the petition. 1t is
believed a majority Of the democrat
ic members would accept this plan and
1t would command the support Of
considerable number Of republicans
though whether it's supporters would
be able to outvotc the so-ealled reac-
tionary republicans on the one hand
and the ultra radical democrats on the
other is q matter which can oily be
determined when the final test comes
on the floor of the convention. II may
be regarded as certain that neither
party viii 20 into caucus on any Of
the subjects 10 be Incorporated in the
constitution and that every member
will retain his right TO vote as his
Judgment dictates on all matters when
they are brought up for passage. The
only cacus this week was "a brief and
very Informal one by the democrats
al which the only matter taken up
was the correction of an unfounded
report that Mr. Ferguson
had been deposed from his position as
floor leader While MIR, Ferguson
was not deposed from that position IT.
is quite likely that the position OF
floor leader, both for the minority and
majority win rapidly diminish IN
importance because of the growing
belief among both republicans and
democrats that party politics have no
place In g constitutional convention.
No session Of the convention was
held today but the delegates spent
MANY hours i'm the committee rooms
where considerable progress was
made. The committee on corpora
ions held a night session at which
Was discussed the matter of the cree-
ion of the proposed corporation COM
mission. That this body win be Great
3D. that it will consist OF three men.
ind that not more than two OF them
viii be Of the same political faith,
NAY be- regarded as certain. A sub
committee now at work Is seriously
the New York public util-
ties commission law as model Tor
he New Mexico commission. whether
he commission Is appointed by the
Governor or elected by the people is
question which the convention as
whole viii probably be called upon To
lecide. II is believed the committee
win recommend tho appointve sys-
EN-.
The question OF the elective or APP
,ointigc system for judges and other
.fficcrs is likely to become a large
me before the convention has finally
diourned. There are advocates of
10Th rV1fon1e among the delegates