The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-09-05
SUGGESTIONS
Regarding The Coming Con-
StitutiORal Convention
The Kind Of Men To Send
As The Delegates
And The Important Questions
To Be Handled
Most Vital Is The Initiative
And Referendum
In Order To Secure To The
People Their Rights
Mt. Vernon, O., Sept. !


Editor Banner:
Apropos to the coming convention
and the election of a delegate for
Knox county whose duty it will be to
aid in the preparation of new con-
stitution for the state of Ohio-and
anent the conclusions of the SUI
preme court of Ohio relative to Char.
ter 1787) of the Northwest territory
abrogating certain supposed rights OF
the people-kindly allow the under
signed to call the attention of your
many readers to fact not generally
known, fact also based upon court
decision, the Supreme court OF the
United States, to-wit: That a right or
franchise-privilege secured through A
legislative body, national, state, coun-
ty or municipal, can not be abrogated,
vitiated or set aside no matter how
great the corruption and bribery in the
securing.
Most persons, and not a few law
yers, have held to the opinion that
fraud would vitiate any and all con.
tract agreements land franchises are
agreements between a corporate body
and the body politic,) but this is not
he case as to franchises made and
agreed to by peoples representatives
and giving away the rights of the peo-
pie. The Supreme court of the nation
efuses to question the rights and
honesty of the official agents Of gov
ernment--will not go behind the re-
.urns. The people, bound by their re-
representatives. and the said rulings or
The courts, are without recourse. Re-
| call being denied In the interests OF
those able to buy special privilege.
Such being the case land with all
due respect to the courts) it will be-
hooye all those who believe in equal
and exact Justice, those who wish to
preserve the supposed rights granted
by the fathers, to see to 1t that the
delegates representing them in the
| ohoi w pNN'N
as whom they are assured will fully,
honestly and fearlessly stand for and
protect the interests OF the masses
that they be not such as VIII stand
for and represent predatory interests,
Those selected should be OF the peo'
pie and for the people.
Senator Bourne has said "The is
sue before the country is whether pop
ular government, with general wei
fare its vitalizing force, shall save
and develop the nation, or delegated
government, with selfishness the de
stroying force, shall bring the nation
to inevitable anarchy. And to this
he might well have added the ques
ton, (Which is supreme, the people
or the courts and a bribed Legislative
body?"
1t would not be necessary nor advis
able, possibly, that all laws Estate
county and municipal,) should be re
ferred to and approved by the people
but where fraud or undue influence |;
suspected, when the rights OF the peo
pie should have the right either tC
approve or reject and before sucf
suspected laws shall become opera
tive In no other way can the rights
of the people be preserved, In lieu o.
dollars the people must protect them
selves with a small piece of white pa
per,
Seekers after special privileges
would be very wary of spending mon
ey for rights which, later, would have
to come before the people for approx
al. With this power reserved to thu
people. legislators would become al
: most immune and safe from exposure
to corruptlon-and when, indeed, !
would be an honor to represent thu
people in their Legislative halls.
If the people have mind to thel
own interests. If they do not wish Il
be bound by contracts secures
through bribery and corruption, 1
they believe that the many should no
be despoiled in the interests of tn
few, they should see to It that no maj
, be trusted and sent as delegate t
, said convention who is not firm
, and avowed believer in the initiativ
and referendum-and such a one a
who will stand for and protect tn