South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-11-07
ONER-ZEALOUS PROPAGANDISTS
CAN BLAME THEMSELVES ALSO.

CAN BLAME THEMSELVES ALSO.
Defeat OF the movement for con
stitutional convention in Indiana is
not a surprise The law submitting
the question was against the conven-
ton 10 begin with and what il lacked
other varied interests in the state fur
nished in the way OF developing an
opposition. Nor alone Is this charge
able against the brewers and liquor
interests. The opposition 10 the liquor
interests played an equal part To
our mind it wasn't necessary 10 bring
the liquor issue, woman suffrage. the
initiative, referendum and recall or
any other special issue into the cOntro-
versy.
The vote shows that despite the
various pTejudices that were aroused
TO defeat the convention, Indiana is
pretty near ready to vote for one. So
far as concerns the number of actual
votes cast, the success OF the opposi-
ton is nothing TO brag about. Had
the opponents Of the saloon talked
convention more and prohibition less.
and similarly with the equal suffrage,
and popular government leagues. It
really looks as though the proposition
might have carried in spite OF the
legal restrictions.
You cannot enter any campaign
with debatable proposition in the
forefront without arousing all the op-
position 20 that proposition. Men
voted against the constitution, or did
not vote on the proposition at all,
while really believing the state in
need Of a new fundamental law. all
merely because impolitic campaigners
insisted upon telling them that a new
constitution would mean certain things
that these particular voters did not
want.
And the assertion was not justified.
s new constitution for Indiana might
carry with it statewide prohibition,
equal suffrage. and the initiative, ref
erendum and recall, or il might not.
Ohio had a constitutional convention
a few years ago and none of the above
propositions were incorporated into
ii. save the initiative and referendum.
in very mild way.
Michigan had a similar experience
couple years earlier and none of those
things got into the Michigan constitu-
ton.
The trainers OF the new constitu-
lions in those states refused to have
their entire work annulled upon sub
mission to the people by the inclusion
IF such provisions.
They submitted them separately as
alternatives that they might lose out
or win without destroying the re-
mainder OF the work.
They lost out except as 10 the mild
form of initiative and referendum in
Ohio. and they lost out in an election
in which they were real issues, instead
OF losing out as they did Tuesday in
Indiana as embryonic issues only.
The defeat OF the constitutional
question can be chargeable quite di-
rectly To the brewers and liquor inter
ests beyond doubt. but what else could
YOU expect of them with the anti
saloon forces of the state challenging
them at every turn Of the road, and
telling them what was TO be done TO
them should a new constitution be OBJ
tainable? Considerably better results
might have been gained. taking their
viewpoint for il, had they waited 10
cross that bridge until they got to ii.
There is such "a thing as defeating an
object by Over-exertion. This is Just
As true in the race of life as in a race
between horses.
Some day Indiana will have con-
stitutional convention and new con-
stitution in spite Of the present failure
II will not come, however. quite ap-
parently. until some of its advocates
have been educated more extensively
on how 10 get il. and that the most
effective exercise OF zeal sometimes is
10 keep il muzZled