Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-25
FILLS FORTY PAGES
Arizona Constitution, Five
Times as Long as Nations.
OBJECTIONS OF PRESIDENT.
Opposed to Provision for Recall of
Judges.
HAD WARNED THE PEOPLE
instrument Not So Radical as That
Of oklahoma-Regarded as Work
of Idealists and Theorists.
OBJECTIONS OF PRESIDENT
lad WARNED THE PEOPLE
BIT WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicsgo Record Herald.

B1 WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
PHOENIX, .Ariz.. April is. 1911
The business men Of Arizona are will
ing to accept the constitution of that
state rather than delay admission. 1t is
very different from the constitutions of
the United States and the older states,
in that it is a code of laws rather than
a definition Of principles. and Is FIVE
times as long as the Constitution Of the
United States with all its amendments
1t fills forty pages of solid fine type. 1t
goes into details in legislation and leaves
future legislatures little TO- do.
The feature to which President Taft
objects is the recall OF the Judiciary.
provision which gives % per cent Of the
voters at the preceding election the right
to pull judge Off the bench if his de-
cisions do not suit them. This can be &C
compished by circulating petitions for
signatures. which need not be on one
sheet of paper and can be padded up to
the requisite number without the slight
est difficulty. Such an election must be
held within thirty days after recall
petition has been filed with the governor,
and In this way every judge In the state
will be continually exposed to the ven
seance Of the mob and to the temptation
to render decisions to suit the popular will.
President Taft and the American bar
generally believe that such provision
is fatal to the independence and honesty
OF the courts and to the vindicauon OF
justice.
Therefore, President Taft refuses to ap-
prove the constitution, and insists that
it shall be amended by striking out this
provision. He Will not ask for further
| revision. but will accept the other freak
features of the instrument as expert
ments.
The recall OF the judiciary, however.
was the principal issue In the election OF
| members of the constitutional conven-
ton, and at the subsequent election for
the ratification of, the constitution, and
on both occasions was Endorsed by a very
| large majority Four-fifths Of the men,
| bers of the convention were pledged to
vote for it. and their act was approved
by Is per cert of the votes cast at the
ratification election.
Therefore, if the constitution is vetoed
by President Taft 1t is predicted that
+, majority of the voters of Arizona will
adhere to the proposition and insist upon
the recall method Of getting rid of judges
whose decisions are not agreeable to
them. This will delay indefinitely the
admission of Arizona as a state, and re-
tard its development Hence. the BUSH
will of the majority on the theory that
the people of sovereign state have
right to make their own laws without
regard to the opinion Of the President.
This is the position taken by Theodore
Roosevelt who in a speech at Phoenix
not long ago, agreed that the recall of
judges is vicious provision, but it is
evidently desired by the people Of Arizo-
ma. and they ought to be allowed to have
all they want of it.
Adoption Of the Constitution.
The enabling act vas adopted by Con-
gress June 10. 1910.
The election of members of the consti-
tutional convention was held September
II, 1910. and forty-one were democrats
and eleven republicans All of the dem
ocrats and one republican voted for the
recall Of the judiciary.
The constitutional convention met Oc-
tober 10, 1910. Its deliberations continued
sixty-one days. Friday. December 3, the
constitution was signed by forty demo-
Gratis and one republican. Ten republi
cans and one democrat refused to sign it.
The one republican who signed, and who
voted for the recall of the judiciary, Is
John Langdon, foreman of the Old Do
minion Copper Mining and Smelling Com
pany. He was born in Hancock, Mich,
and has been a citizen of Arizona for ten
years. Mr.. Langdon is prominent in union
labor circles, and Is a pronounced social
list. although he belongs to the republican
The constitution as signed was SUBJ
nlitted to vote of the people February
8, 1911, and was ratified although the
total vote was only about $4,000. as COM
pared with 1900 cast at the previous
election. Apache county gave a majority
against the constitution. All Of the other
counties voted in favor of it.
Composition of the Convention.
There is a difference Of opinion as to
whether the constitutional convention was
a representative body Many contend that
it was not and insist that it was con-
trolled by the labor organizations. The
following table will show the professions
and occupations of the members Of the
convention: Lawyers, II; cattlemen, 10;
miners, Z: merchants, 3; farmers, 3;
editors. 3: machinists, 3; physicians 2
and one each of the following: Justice Ct the
supreme court. locomotive engineer, rail-
way brakeman, plumber, carpenter, min
ing engineer. irrigation engineer, author,
banker and real estate dealer.
The following will show the birthplaces
of the f1fty-twO members of the cOnsti-
tutional convention: Illinois. 6: Ohio, 6;
Arizona, 3; Michigan, j. New York, a;
Texas 3; Alabama. 3: Kentucky, 3;
Vermont, =: Virginia, =; Massachusetts,
> and the following, one each: Indiana
Colorado. Pennsylvania, Georgia, Utah.
Maryland, Tennessee. Missouri Oregon,
land. Germany, New Brunswick and New
Zealand.
Initiative and Referendum