South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-10-01
BIGELOW ADDRESS
DRAWS BIC CROWD
Talks on New Constitution at
EIkhart to Audience InClud-
ing Number From South
Bend--FaVorS Move.

DN stan tHilbIlutIAs
ELKHART. oct. 1.-The first of the
constitutional convention campaign
meetings being put on in the state by
the Indiana Women's Suffrage league,
to be held in northern Indiana, was
held at the Bucklen theater here
Wednesday night with Herbert :.
BigelOw OF Cincinnati, who was pres
ident OF the constitutional convention
in Ohio in 1912, as the speaker
The theater was packed 10 capacity,
a Consid cradle attendance from sur
rounding cities being noticeable.
Mayor Fred W Keller and COM
pany Of six from South BenG ucc~g-~~
one OF the boxes.
BigeIow was born in Elkhart and
has seldom been back here since ne
ran away from home When mere
lad In dealing with the necessities
Of a new constitution in Indiana, he
devoted considerable time 10 com
PARSONS Of the present one with the
old constitution in Ohio, and then told
of the numerous amendments made
in 1912 in the buckeye state, and OF
the benefits that are accruing to the
people in consequence.
This is a progressive age SAID
Bigelow, who IS a democrat, and 10
me the term progressive IS not nee
essarily a synonym for bull moose !,
especially when we are talking new
constitution. We talked it and framed
our new constitution in Ohio, with
pretty much everything you can eX
pect to get in Indiana, before the bull
moose party was born. 1t is non
partisan proposition, this constitution
al question is. At least none OF your
parties in Indiana seem to have had
the temerity to come out fiat-footed
against it, any more than they did
in Ohio, and you can do just as well
as we did if you Will only get out and
work, and vote, and get other people
to understand, and work and vote"
Must Inform Public.
Bigelow declared that one of the
greatest dangers in Indiana, with
regard TO the constitutional conVeh-
ton carrying is that the masses or
voters will never know what it means,
and half of them will never hear OF
it before they see it on the ballot. Il
notice that very few OF your partisan
newspapers are giving the movement
any publicity. and campaign orators
are consistently forgetting IL, which
is another reason l might give Tor
calling the issue a very nOn-partlSstn
one. 1t looks as though you would
have TO fight il out outside the par
ties he declared.
The question submitted this fall
is shall a constitutional convention
for the state of indiana ne calleu,
and il will take majority of the
votes cast-nOt a mere majority OF
those VOting-tO carry Ii, according 10
the speaker The man who does not
vote on the question at all casts half
vote against it. After the convention
is provided for, if the proposition 10
cali one should carry. the next thing
is to elect delegates to whip the new
constitution into form, after which the
finished article will be submitted back
to the pople for their adoption.
Some Reasons for Change.
Following are some of the reasons
why a new constitution is deemed
desirable:
The present constitution is too long,
not sufficiently flexible.
The original constitution of 1916
was replaced by our present consttu-
ton in 1851 because Outgrown by 50
years of history
Far greater changes have occurred
in the last GO years, viz: Population
more than trebled; a distinctly rural
state has become largely Industrial;
factory laborers increased from a.
432 to 21S.OOO: manufactured prod
ucts from $1S,922.6S1 TO $579.075,000;
in 1851 our largest city had 1856
inhabitants; now Indianapolis has
ESQ., 900 inhabitants.
The amendment provision IS almost
prOhibitive.
Present constitution unchanged in
63 years except for minor amend
ments in 1873 and 1881.
Proposed lawyers amendment OBJ