The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-03-18

A committee of The Citizens League
OF Indiana, which is backing the new
constitution movement meets at India.
napolis, Friday. The following sets
forth the needs Of a new state basic
law:
The matter of revising our consti.
tuition to date is the largest subject Of
civil and political significance now
facing the people of Indiana This
was apparent throughout the session
OF the sixty-ninth general assembly.
Since the session ended without TAX
Ing any constructive steps in the di.
rection of constitutional revision, the
significance Of this subject looms
larger than ever
The people of Indiana are to be con.
graduated that the twenty-five Stots-
enburg amendments were killed in
toto by the legislature which has Just
adjourned. Viewed in the kindest
possible light, this Stotsenburg pro-
gram contemplated only the most
fl.msy kind OF patchwork or makeshift
revision. Along with few apparently
harmless proposals, there were others
that contained highly vicious possibil-
tiles, such as those pertaining to legis-
lative-made city and private corpora
ton charters and specially created and
controlled courts.
The adoption of these amendments
would have constituted little less than
a conspiracy against the right Of the
people to control directly all their con-
stt;rtional forms. The submission of
any of them to the people would have
tended to obscure the pathway to a
genuine constitutional revision. Con-
stitution making Is too seriously i'm
portant to trifle with in this manner.
Referendum Gets Support.
The defeat Of these amendments
left clear field for a bona fide re-
vision OF the constitution by a conven-
ton OF the people, and the legislature
should have provided for a referendum
vote at the general election of 1915 on
the question Of calling such a conven-
ton. The bill providing for this
referendum received very encouraging
support. In the house there were
forty-five votes in its favor and forty
nine against. The endeavor to trade
with the advocates Of this measure In
the last hours Of the session for some
proposed special legislation, such as
the felon's relief bill, has been illumi-
mating as to the opposition to the
movement
1t Is also evident that those who
most vociferously declare that the
people do not want d constitutional
convention are quite certain that the
people will express themselves in !
favor Of a convention when the ques-
ton Is rightfully submitted to them. |
Otherwise, why should these vocifer-
GUS contenders object to the simple
submission OF the question without
confusion or expense?
IN the meantime, it is to be noted |
that the legislature has afforded no
or permanent relief what
ever upon the vital problems of city |
taxation and many other
questions of equal import. 1t Is very
conceded that satisfactory
of these fundamental Dues
tons can not be had by legislation +
under our present constitutional limi-
1Akions.
People Want Hearing.
1t goes without saying that the
people do want complete hearing on
these important issues and it is uni.
concluded there Is need Of
some constitutional revision. Obser.
vation of the legislative session just
ended strengthens this conclusion. At
east one-third of the time and effort
If this legislature was expended on the
Internal affairs Of the city Of Indianap-
dis, with no beneficial results what
ever to the city of Indianapolis, and
with much loss to the state
II Indiana. II for no other reason,
here should be revision of the con-
which will make possible the
adjustment Of local difficulties in
titles by the people Of the cities them
elves without placing unnecessary
'urdens and expenses ON the state.
The experience in the last !egisla-
ure and also for the past generation ,
E1Ah efforts toward amending the con. ;
.5Snsjoc certainly Should be sufficient
9 NKrIa hqYqrd INV dn5rfk fhe mann LIZ .