The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-08-29


IAN affront to the people of the state
and a cunningly devised scheme to
deceive and delude the voters"
Judge c. P. Wickham of this city
did not mince words in eondemning
the most of the proposed constitu-
tiOnal amendments which will be
submitted to the voters at the spe-
cial election on September 3rd.
Those excepted were the woman suf-
frage amendment and those proyid-
ing for the appointn ent of superin-
tendents of public instruction and
public works. The others he char
acterized as either vicious, or unnec-
essary because already provided for
in the present constitution or by laws
passed in pursuance thereof.
1t IS refreshing in these days of pU-
litical unrest to hear from one whose
motives cannot be questioned and
who has no personal ambition to at
tain and no personal interest to
serve other than the welfare Of the
whole people to serve.
After a long and honorable public
career, both in war and peace, dur
ing which he has given the public the
benefit of his abilities and patriotic
service, Judge Wickham is voluntar-
lily retiring to a richly deserved rest.
For these reasons his views will have
weight with all thinking men. He
served several terms in congress and
many years on the bench. and he
speaks from the standpoint OF one
who has given a lifelong study to
constitutional and other question:.
In discussing the proposed consti-
tutional amendments, Judge Wick
ham said:
I'm the first place, it is preposter-
GUS to expect the great mass of 'vot-
ers in, Ohio to study the AZ proposed
constitutional amendments and vote
understandingly or intelligently when
only five weeks time is given for
such study.
"Mr. Bigelow and his associates
who controlled the convention were
evidently afraid to submit their So
cialistic and revolutionary proposals
to an aroused and enlightened public
sentiment For that reason they pro-
vided for the submission of the many
questions at an early special cleo
ton. If they had confidence in the
intelligence of the people why did
they not submit the proposals at the
general election in November. when
Ill Nha AwNf fa9
Their answer is that the people
would be confused if the discussion
on the amendments should be carried
into a regular campaign. Do they
distrust the intelligence Of the vot-
ers? The real reason for their &C
tion was that they were afraid that
if the election were not held for six
months or later, the voters would
have time to study the many pro-
posals and vote them down. That
Is the only reasonable explanation
for their apparent desire to submit
the questions as quickly as possible,
and thus permit a small. but organ
ized minority Of the people to write
Socialism and confusion into the or
ganic law.
Not being satisfied with calling
for q special election on the ques-
tions at an early date, Mr.. Bigelow
and his associates also concocted a
cunning scheme to further fool and
delude the voters. They prepared a
pamphlet containing the proposed
amendments and under each proposal
they printed an alleged explanation
which. in many cases, not only does
not explain, but seeks to actually de-
ceivs. Only the titles Of the amend
ments will appear on the ballot, SO
those titles were so worded as to at
tract the votes Of those who had not
had the opportunity to study each
amendment. Ali of this would be
bad enough If Bigelow and his as
sociates had gone into their own
pockets to pay for the printing of de-
ceptive and misleading literature.
| into the state treasury to pay for
tHeir campaign literature. Think of
the imposition of it! Compelling me
and every other taxpayer in Ohio to
| pay for the publication Of arguments
in behalf OF constitutional amend,
ments to many Of which we are absO-
lutely opposed.
| Again" he said. many of the
proposed amendments are legislation
pure and simple and not basic propo-
| sitions such only as should fnd their
way into q constitution; and some Of
| them are wholly unnecessary. as the
ends they seek are now fully attain
able under the present constitution
With the exception of the woman
suffrage amendment and those pro
viding for the appointment of super.
intendents of public instruction and
of public works, the amendments pro
posed are an affront to the people of
the state and a cuRningly devised
scheme TO deceive and delude the
voters.
1T seems to me that the only safe
way for the average voter. who has
not had time in the midst Of the
cares of his occupation. to study
and understand the far-reaching eff
feet of the amendments. is to vote
No upon all of them. the meaning oi
which is not clear and satisfactory tC
him. When in doubt vote them