The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-06-08
Senator Stotsenburg Defends
Democratic Plan for Con-
stitutiOnal Convention Be-
fore University Meeting.
Growth in Population and In
dustrial Advance Demand
Revision to Bring Govern
ment to People.
palladium Specially

BLOOMINGTON, Ind, June S.
Senator Evan B. Stotsenburg of New
Albany, author of the act providing
for vote on a constitutional conven,
tiOn for Indiana. defended the act to-
day, declared this to be a period of
unrest, and said tho call for a change
in the state cons,s was only a
natural result of the great industrial
change that has come since the pres
ent instrument was drawn.
The occasion for the address was
the first session of the conference on
the question, "Shall a Constitutional
Convention be Called in Indiana con
Quoted by the Extension Division of
Indiana University. Many visitors, in
Guiding members of the state legisla-
ture, social workers and advocates OF
reform movements, We're present. The
conference was to continue for three
days and was to be addressed by
many prominent men. On the pro
gram were Hugh TIL. Miller, Republic
can candidate for the United States
senate; Albert J. Beveridge, Progress
sive candidate for the senate; Her
bert S. Bigelow, president of the late
Ohio Constitutional convention; Fred
Sims, former chairman Of the Repub-
lican state committee, John A. Lapp
director of the bureau of Legislative
information: Edgar A. Perkins, rep
resenting labor; w X. Stewart of In
dianapOlis and Senator StOsenburg.
Outgrows Basic Law.
StOtsenburg said in effect that the
constitution, which had been remark
able in its time, had been outgrOWn by
the state. While the state has grown
from territory of $4,000 population
to state of about 100000 people, he
said. the constitution has been chang
ed only once. After it had existed a
third of a century the constitution
was altered to conform to the great
changes in the state.
But the marvellous growth of the
state from 1906 to 1850 was nothing
compared to the growth between 1850
and 1914, he said. He told of a few
changes. Railroads had increased
from 212 miles of line to over 10000
miles. interurban lines from nothing &
to $500 miles; public utilities were un-
known, but now they supply every city
with light and water; telegraph and
telephone lines have sprung up in
that time; manufacturing plants have
increased from an investment of
$4,000, 900 to one of $500. 900 900 The
population of only cities exceeded
1000 at that time, he said and the
largest city, New Albany, had 5000
Now 100 cities have over 1000 pOpu-
lation. Then the state was engaged
almost exclusively in agricultural pur-
suits, but now over one-half OF the pop
ulation reside in cities and towns.
People Demand Revision.
Stotsenburg used this data to dem
onstrate why there was, as he termed
it, condition of unrest in the state
In spite of these radical changes, the
same old constitution was in use, he
said, though states on all sides had
seen the need of changing their
fundamental laws. Since 1881, a
third of century ago, not single
change has been made in the constitu-
tion,' he said. "The people feel that
the control of the affairs of govern
ment are slipping away from them.
They demand that the constitution be
rewritten to suit their present-day idea
of popular government
Stotsenburg made the statement
that "every man, | don't care who he
may be, will agree that some change
should be made" in the constitution
He said they differed on the changes
He cited the various changes that had
been suggested as follows: providing
woman suffrage, compulsory work
mans compensation, prohibition Qi-
quOr), initiative, referendum and re-
call; special charters for cities, the
short ballot, fewer elections, statutes
fixing qualifications for lawyers, new
tax laws, new machinery for amending
the constitution.