The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-01-08
RADICALS WILL
BE IN CONTROL
Progressives viii Dominate Con
vention to Reframe Ohio
Constitution
BITTER STRUGGLE PREDICTED
Initiative and Referendum to be
Paramount Issue
u Has Made Even the Liquor Cues
tion Secondary, Democrats Have
Most Delegates.

Columbus, o.. Jan. S.--The grea
state of Ohio will begin tomorrow Tn,
reconstruction of the constitution. !
constitutional convention, recognized
by all factions as preponderantly pro
gressive" If not radical, will convene in
this city tomorrow for struggle N
which hotly- debated questions OF tn,
Initiative and referendum, the recall o
public officials. including the judiciary
and the liquor question. will over.
shadow all other proposals.
The fact that a majority--perhaps as
large as 20 per cent--of the delegates
chosen to this convention are classed
as "progressives," while the more con
servativc element makes up In deter
mination what IL may lack in mum
bers, foreshadows bitter and pro-
tracted struggle. Whatever its out
come, the people will have thereafter
their say" about il in the ensuing gen
eral election. They rejected the pro-
posed constitution adopted in 1891
Ohio is the first state east of the
Mississippi to attempt the revision of
Its organic law since direct legislation
and direct control of public officials by
the electorate came into vogue In sew
eral far western states. and the out
come In Ohio will be watched with
keenest interest by the people of every
other state.
Analysis of the statements regarding
hn mo- isll 40
elected, discloses the fact that all of
the progressives are for the initiative
and referendum and many OF them
want provisions for the recall of the
Judiciary. Practically every labor dele
gate stands for the recall of all OFF,
GERS. Many of the farmer delegates.
however, while favoring the initiative
and referendum refuse 20 include the
recall Of judges in their program. at
the same time supporting this idea for
other officials.
Interviews with representative
delegates throughout the state justifes
the statement that sentiment Is more
concerned with the proposed modfica-
tion of representative government than
with any other matter likely to come
before the convention. They prefer
placing the liquor license question In
"A secondary position. The initiative
aud referendum. they assert. is para
mount to all issues.
When the 11g delegates TO the con-
vention are called to order i'm the house
OF representatives. at the state capital
here, II will be the most notable repre-
sentative of all classes of the people
of this state of any gathering I'm Ohio's
history. Included in the personnel of
the convention will be one former
one former lieutenant
governor, two members of the present
Legislature. many former legislators,
many former Judges. several ministers,
q large number of farmers and repre-
sentatives from commercial and indus
trial walks of life. The Democrats
have the majority with So delegates.
The Republicans have As delegates. the
3 and the Socialists 3.
Under the law providing for the con-
vention the oldest member present will
preside for the purpose of temporary
organization. This honor will fall to
the lot of Judge Dwyer of Dayton, who
is in his eighty-first year.