New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-31
To the Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: It makes a great deal Of differ
cnce to the President of the United
States and his party whether Judge
Gerard or Mr. Wadsworth be chosen
United States Senator next Tuesday
1t makes no difference whatever TO
policies at Washington whether Glynn
or Whitman is elected Governor of this
state; in the long run it will make
little difference 20 our own people.
Far the most important ballot to be
cast next Tuesday by the voters of this
state relates to the Constitutional Con
vention, for the l68 delegates 10 be
chosen next Tuesday will draft a new
constitution for population as large
as that of the United States in 1880
I he Citizens Union has published re
port declaring that only eighty of all
the nominees of all the parties are IL
10 serve "a delegates to the convention
This number should be even smaller
The State Of New York is not devoid
of men capable OF rendering valuable
service IN such a convention at least
II has many more than the few quail
fed nominees. But under our happy
go-lucky and utterly stupid system the
delicate and transcendentally impor-
tant work of framing a constitution is
to be intrusted TO body "a majority Of
which is incompetent 10 perform it, A
statesman of the past would blush 10
think that New York could have de-
scended so low as TO nominate such
men for such lofty Office. They are in
the main men who covet the $500
salary of convention delegate. They
are not the type Of men who have
served the state in similar positions in
the past.
The convention of 1916 had l2S mem
bers. Seyenty-seven we're born in this
state, thirty-nlne in New England and
a few abroad. The personnel of this
convention included many illustrious
men-Charles O'ConOr, Samuel J. Til
den, John K Porter, Samuel Nelson,
Charles II. Ruggies, afterward chief
Judge OF the Court Of Appeals; Ira
Harris, later a United States Senator;
James Bouck, who had been Governor
OF the state; James Talmadge, who
had previously sat IN the convention Of
1921; Churchill Cambreleng, Lorenzo
b Shepard, father Of the late Edward
VI. Shepard; Lemuel Stetson, father of
Francis Lynde Stetson, who should be
delegate 10 the next convention: Am
brose Jordan. and besides them, Chat
field Taggart, Henry c. Murphy. Lyman
Tremain, Arphaxed LoCmis, George W.
Patterson, Charles 7. Kirkland. John
W. Brown, that great financial leade.,
Michael Hoffman, and many more.
The convention of 1867, which gave
the state the sub-structure of its pres
ent judiciary system, was not below its
predecessors in mental calbre. Evarts
and Comstock headed the list of
famous lawyers Church, Folger and
Andrews became judges of the new
Court OF Appeals. The convention in
cluded also George Opdyke, once Mayor
Of New York City; George William
Curtis. William A. Wheeler, afterward
20 become Nice-President; Samuel j.
IIlden, afterward Governor OF the state
and candidate for the Presidency; Ira
Harris, Francis Herman, Theodore W.
Dwight, AlonZo c. Paige, Matthew Hale
and a long roster of brilliant names.
In such company may Of the nominees
Of this day would have been ashamed
20 show their faces.
The convention Of 1894 contained
men who, had they lived in earlier
days. would hardly have been over
Swallowed by the greatest men of those
| times. These were, perhaps, few in