The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-09-16
The People Are to Vote on a
Change in the Con-
stitution
ORDER ISSUED
BY CARRANZA
General Denies Seeking to
Be a Dictator-Ene-
mics Plotted War


Mexico City, Sept. l6,-General Car
rama issued decree calling for the cleo
ton OF delegates To u constitutional as
sembly. The election will be held ON the
third Sunday OF October and the assem-
bly will convene on Nov. ,, but the first
business session will not be held until
Dee. |.
The main purpose of the assembly will
be the mobilization or alteration of the
constitution SO as to permit the carrying
out of reform fathered by the Constitu-
tonalst party. The sessions will be
limited to two months, and as soon as
a constitution is adopted the first chief
will call for a general election OF presi.
dent and other officers and will dissolve
the assembly.
As soon a. the general elections are
held and a new Congress seated, General
Carranza viii present report on his
administration and turn over his office TO
his elected successor.
General Carranza's purposes in issuing
the call are set forth in the preamble OF
the decree, now made public here. The
preamble refers to the platform of the
Constitutionalists, as set forth IN the
plan Of Guadeloupe adopted in 1918 be-
fore the downfall of General Huerta, and
elaborated at Vera Cruz in 1914, and
says it shows clearly that the program OF
the Constituencies provided that when
their cause was triumphant and munci-
pal elections had taken place the first
chief should call for the election of a
congress. give an account Of the admins
tration and have his actions ratified or
modified by the congress, He was then
to call a presidential election and turn
over the executive power to the legally
elected president.
Government OF and For the People.
The first chief always intended TO car
~ out this program and to that end
adopted various measures to provide gov
eminent of and for the people, to i'm
prove the economic situation OF the work
ing classes and TO insure correct appll-
cation of republican principles as embod-
led in the constitution. 1t had been
found however, that some of these re-
forms affected the functions of the gov
eminent as limited by the constitution.
These reforms were necessary, General
Carranza points out, because there exist
ed the danger that if the functions OF
government were limited strictly in ac-
cordance with the constitution of 1857
the administration of public affairs would
not meet the necessities of the time and
there would be return TO tyranny
through the absorption of powers by the
executive. Another source of danger was
that the powers vested in the legislative
branch of the government would be a
constant stumbling block in the way Of
beneficial administration.
Enemies Stop at Nothing
The enemies of the Constitutionalists
General Carranza continues, have omitted
nothing to prevent completion Of the
program, even going so far ms 10 imperil
the dignity of the republic and endanger
its sovereignty by provoking conflict with
a neighboring republic, seeking to bring
about intervention on the preteXt that
there was no protection for the lives and
OF foreigners. These enemies OF
the Constitutionalists oppose not only
the reforms already effected, but those in
prospect Therefore, the preamble says,
the only way in which to attain the de-
sired ends is to provide for a constitu-
tional assembly through which the whole
county will be able to express clearly its
sovereign will, putting the government on
a firm basis, beyond all question OF le-
gality.
As a precedent for the action of Gen
eral Carranza in calling a constitutional
the decree refers to the fact
that in 1857 similar assembly, was con-
voked after Santa Anna was deposed.
The legality of this assembly was I'M
although it did not follow the
of 1924.
Carranza Denies Dictatorship.
The enemies of the Constitutionalists
General Carranza SAYS, further, have
falsely imputed to him the purpose to
establish dictatorship. On the con-
trary, he says, the government to be es-
tablshed will be of such form as to dem |
onstrate that sovereignty resides within !
the people, by whom it should be exer
cised for the public benefit Both fed
eral and state rights will be respected /
and the spirit of the constitution will be
carried out. The only purpose is to purge |
the constitution of defects in the way of
obscurity and contradiction, or of clauses !
inserted for the purpose of multiplying
democratic rights.
Then follow the provisions determined |
upon by General Carranza to carry out |
his purpose. The election of delegates |
to the constitutional assembly will be |
held on Oct. Is. Business sessions viii |
begin on Dec. | and will be limited TO
two months. As soon as a constitution |
is adopted, presidential election will be
arranged and the assembly viii be dis
solved