The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-08-03
SHARP POLITICS
is ATTEMPTED.

OoiuhnbuS, ". - ISpeClal.) - IN
"Non-Partisan Progressive" move
ment for the selection of delegates t
the state constitutional conventio
started OFF well in this city. The al
tendance of representative citizen
was large, and the general spirit man
IeSted was encouraging to those sin
cereIy desiTous Of men being chOsel
Tor delegates who are broad-guag
ana not merely repositories of on
idea alone. Developments and timt
VIII show whether this spirit will
control the drafting of the platform
and the selection of delegates.
IL is well known that there was {
Widespread suspicion that the move
ment was started by the Rev. Herber
,. Blgelow Of Cincinnati, as shrewC
device of the Progressive Constitu
uon League" to secure the election
or three men from Franklin county
whose one overwhelming object would
De TO secure the insertion in the con
stltutlon of radical and practically
unrestricted and indiscriminate initia
1--WE and referendum provision. 1t can
not be denied that there was a strong
and growing feeling in Franklin coun,
" that a piece of sharp" politics had
been played, and that an attempt was
belng made TO commit different or
carnations - particularly religious
and commercial-to propositions as to
the state constitution which (to say
the leasD they did not fully compre.
mend. Many representatives of organ
lzatlons attended the conference on
the general understanding that it was
a town meeting" of citizens to start
a movement on a nOn-partiSan basis
TO secure the election of three thor.
oughly qualified men as delegates to
the constitutional convention, but sew
eral speakers bluntly declared that
the real object was TO see that only
aVoWed and Out-and-out advocates of
the initiative and referendum were
elected to the convention, and it was
declared that nobody who differed
from this program had a right to he
present at the conference. 1t is but
fair to say, however, that this eXclu-
SlVe and narrOwminded view was not
the prevailing one. 1t is equally prop
er to say, also, that it is vet to be
seen how far the extreme view will
control the outcome of the movement.
IL appears that within 4S hours the
plans of the originators of the move
ment were considerably modified. If
there had been any intention of Sc
lecting three candidates right away"
on straight-Out platform of the wild
est and most unrestricted initiative
and referendum principles for engraft-
ment in the constitution-and there
was some fear that this was the orig.
lnal plant was abandoned
Mr.. Bigelow's speech was able,
adroit and conciliatory, and was
doubtless intended to remove the sus.
picions which he frankly confessed
existed; and yet he undoubtedly in
tended to leave the impression that
the chief object-if not the only OBJ
Ject-of the movement was to secure
the election of delegates committed
above everything else-to the initla-
tive and referendum.
Against Group" Scheme.
Taken as 4 whole, the speeches
We're most excellent in tone; but un-
mist Akable evidence was manifested
of serious differences on fundament.
ais. For instance: In taking the
chair. the Rev. DR.. GLADDEN. emphatic
ally. and unequivocally declared
against selecting three men as sim.
ply representatives of three special
interests or classes and yet the ten
tatlve plan of organization which was
presented provided that the bodv
should be divided into three "groups"
for the selection Of candidates. Ia.
Dor group" a granger group" and
a third group" composed of those
elements OF our citizenship not in
cluded in the first two groups"
The differences Of opinion as to this
proposal was very marked. On the
one hand It was urged-and this was
the attitude of DR.. GLADDEN. in his
opening speech-that the three candi,
dates Chnnl1 hp cn1nntn1 L..
OF their calling or their class Interest
the one controlling consideration he,
ing as to their qualifications. On the
other hand 1t was claimed that unless
the Workingmen and the farmers in.
sisted on representatives of their
class being included among the dele.
cation to the constitutional conven.
tion, there was danger of their inter-
ests being overlooked. This sharn
difference of point of view took eY,
preston in the discussion of a cIansa
in the tentative plan of Organization
in which it was provided that each
of the three groups" proposed shouId
select its own candidate for delegate
to the constitutional convention, #
was pointed out that under such an
any one, and, indeed
aach OF the three groups" might Sc.
lect candidate who would not be
to the two other
groups" and it was argued that NO
man should be selected who was not
he choice Of the organization as q
whole; and it was suggested in
that each group" should
present a name or names for deIeeata
out that, the final choice should he
eft to the entire representatives as
4 body. So radical were the difPor |
7nces upon this point that a settle.
nent was postponed for a week
''I. & r." Discussed.
AS might have been expected. there |
we're grave disagreements Indicated |
IS to the initiative and Referendum
md it is impossible to say with I'M
which particular view nra.
yailed. It Is certain, however that
practically all Of the originators Of
he movement are out-and-out sun.
'orters OF radical initiative and ref
,rendulh provisions in the constitu. /
ion; and 1t Is altogether likely tbo+
lad they been able to have dGna So
hey would have at once declared tboI
n irOn-clad endorsement of tbe MIA
st application of these princinIas IN
he part Of candidates Would ha M
bsolute condition of support. and
indeed, that this would have been The
lain, if not practically the sole te.t ele
t course honesty and respectahiiitT
nd average ability being concedaG
his is the. position of the great ms.
Ority of the labor REPRESENTATIVES
he farmers are much divided on tbio
roposition; and there can be little
uestion that among the third "groun"
representing all outside the other
wo "groups'-there is maioritu
eminent either in actual oppositio11
D an inclusion of the initiative ana
in the constitution or in
istent upon very great caution In the
natter, and holding fast to the necas.
ity of safeguarding the application
the initiative and referendum co
lat the danger Of mob-rule and hasfv
nd unconsldered legislation should
e minimiZed.
The entire proceedings were a most
reditable manifestation Of active -