The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-10-05

DS Hdu III cases III WHICH elLnSE party
demanded one, or In which the courts
should order ore.
'25. No religious belief and no ad-
juration Of Almighty God ought to be
required of witnesses.
"26. The state should refund to the
counties all expenses incurred in
prosecutions for crimes and misde-
| meanors.
"27 Power of local legislation
ought to De conferred upon county
commissioners and their number, by
some just ratio, increased"
This bill of particulars, lengthy as
it is, does not express all of the de-
mands of the refOrmers. Even as
early as 1849 there came from differ.
ent parts of the state n demand for
the election Of United States Sena-
tors by direct vote of the people. The
National Era and the New York Tri-
bune were quoted in favor of this
reform, bYt as the Oregon Plan" had
not been devised at that early date
and the forthcoming convention would
not have power to abrogate the pro-
visions Of the constitution Of the
United States. this reform was pre-
sented as one of academic interest
rather than of practical importance.
The enrranchisement of women
found occasional advocates, but not
in sufficient numbers to raise it to
the dignity of an issue.
A reform in which there was a
deep and widespread interest. but in
regard to which very little was said
by the secular press of the state, was
the regulation of the liquor traffic.
A large end influential class Of citi-
zens were determined that the sale
Of intoxicants as a beverage should
be virtually outlawed in the consti-
tuition. Their liberal opponents were
wide awake and apprehensiye but
quiet and undemonstrative in their
defensive campaign. We shall see
later how the contest between the
"wets" and the "drys" went into the
constitutional convention-and how
it came cut.
AS the agitation for a convention
progressed, there was in thejprelim-
mary discussions a considerable mani
festation of that pessimism which re-
CARDS everything under the existing
system as headed for autocracy, de-
struction, and the eternal "bow vows"
Hear ye one of the oracles:
"It is an old and true saying that
power is ever stealing from the many
T. ln, hi fh1
case under our present constitution
that but little power remains with the
many to steal away. An opportunity
now offers for the people to right
these things and rescue the rights
and powers that have been filched
away from them, and they will do it
or we are mistaken"
In this there is a very modern
favor.
conservatives" and "reactionaries"
there were in goodly number and not
a few of them looked forward hope
fully to a constitutional convention
as a refuge from what today would
be called the "socialistic" schemes of
the mob" and the general assembly.
Hear the Introductory words of the
appeal of a representative of this
class:
"A revision of the present consti-
tuition with view to its alteration,
so as to entirely prohibit the legisla-
trre from hereafter engaging in
schemes of internal Improvement can
not be too strenuously urged unon the
peonlp. No one at this pres
ent day will for a moment contend
that the legislature ever had an eX-
press constitutional authority for en-
tering into such a scheme. II
| 1t is necessary and proper that i'm
DrOvcments such as canals and rail-
roads should be made in the state,
individual caOiral and enterprise will
make them If they are profitable"
The real "stand-patters" who were
opposed to any charge were 1ompara-
lively few and quiet, but on the bat
tie line they did little bush whack-
ing from the underbrush.
The stormy petrol of the agita-
ton for a new constitution was Hon.
Samuel Nledary. editor of The Ohio
| Statesmen. and an aggressive Dem
| ocratic leader of the state. Not only
| did he advocate the convention
through the columns of his paper but
on May 5, 1S49, he commenced the
publication of The New Constitution
a weekly of octave size, devoted en-
| tirely to the cause. He evidently was
a revisionist for the sake of revision,
/ progres sive and a conservative
| in short he would go far tC agree
with any Eaan who favored new con-
stitution. For that he even lid aside
for the time being the discussion of
partisan Issues and became the vir.
tual leader of the newspaper propa.
ganda throughout the state in favor
of the convention. No othe~ man
perhaps, did so much to arouse popu-
lar interest and insure the triumph
of his cause at the polls. In the
last issue Of The New Constitution
Octiber 5, lS49, the result of the vote
on holding a constitutional conven'
ton Is announced as follows:
For the convention. .. 1858
Against the convention. 51,161
Total vote cast. ...,.... 235,37O
1t will, therefore, be seen that
1851 electors who went to the polls
did not vote at all on this question
The proposition carried by majority
Of 56,O26. We shall now see how the
delegates were elected and how they
set about making the new coRstitu
ton.