The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1914-09-18
THE CHANGES OF e3
YEARS IN INDIANA
How They Have Made Our State Con
stitutIon Unequal 20 the Demands
Put Upon IL.

y Is no accident OF politics or legis
lation that the question of calling
constitutional convention Is upor
US at this time. The present demand
for new constitution is a wholly
natural expression Of the expanding
progressive sentiment in the state
and in our local communities.
Our first constitution, adopted IN
1916. was, discarded at the end oi
thirty-five years because outgrown by
a generation of progress, and our
present constitution, adopted In 1851
made to satisfy the needs and condi
tions Of the middle Of the nineteenth
century. Now shall we of the second
decade OF the twentieth century show
less courage and progressive spirit
In meeting the conditions that con.
front US?
What fundamental changes have
been wrought during the past 63
years OF epoch making 'histors may
well give the people of Indiana oc.
casion for profound thought. Our
population has more than trebled.
We have developed from an agricul-
tural people to a cosmopolitan com
monwealth, largely industrial. In
1851 our largest city was New Albany,
with only 1856 inhabitants. Madison
was second with TIA Indianapolis
had 1856. There were only nine
cities Of more than 1000 people. To
day most of the counties of the state
can boast a metropolis greater than
these frontier towns, and almost one
half Of our entire population is in
towns. and cities. The city of.>In-
dianapOlis contains about one I'd
the entire population Of the state
when our present constitution was
adopted. This tendency from coun.
try to city is rapidly increasing
From 1900 to 1910 our city population
increased 30.5%, while our rural pop-
ulation decreased 5.5%.
During these SO years our factory
laborers have increased from 1892
to over 218,0O0; our annual manu-.
featuring output, from $18,922.555 to
$57S. 100000 our investment in nanu.
featuring plants, from $7,75e,4 to
more than $3.50. .000, 900. The so-caIled.
manufacturing plants of 1851 con.
sisted principally of small individual
shops 'and mills. The total state tax
levied at that time was $3.50. 0.4S1. rs.
1t now exceeds $6,25O, 900. The PIP
miles OF railroad which existed in
1850, 124 miles of which had been con-
the preceding year, have ex-
panded to a network of steam and
electric lines threading every portion
Of the state.
Indeed, the past 63 years have
taken US from the realm of tie stage
coach and the tOw-path canal. and tho
simple life Of that day
to highly complex state of society
calling for adequate machinery of or
ganization to direct it. Our immeas-
urable progress in education, sci
ence, inventions and wealth has Gre
ated problems that could not have
been foreseen in 1851. The inevita-
Dle logic of growth and change has
government to concern it.
self with the most intricate and COM
plex relations of personal and prop
erty rights. There was no problem
of public utilities then. II is a most
vital one now. We were not troub-
ed with the floating foreign vote.
md the machinery Of elections was
comparatively simple. Our present
iced OF safeguarding the suffrage
Gould not have been foreseen Our
IniQuated general property tax.
which was then fairly suitable to the
simple property forms Of that day, is
wholly inadequate now The prob
ems OF city government. then OF little
moment. concern US tremendously to-
lay.
These and other vital matters are
involved In the matter of calling
convention to bring
'ur constitution up to date. We shall
AVE the opportunity this fall In vot
ngs for a constitutional convention
o register a demand for modern
orms OF government