Omaha daily bee., 1916-05-15
Mnnts a ConstllnfionnI

wants a Constitutional Convention.
OMAHA, May i3.--To the Editor Of The
Bee: In the midst Of more compelling
and dramatic Issues al home and abroad,
the attention Of the voters of Nebraska
Ia In danger Of being diverted from the
need Of a constitutional convention TO re-
wise ifs fundamental laws. The reasons
why such a step Is imperatively neces-
sary are. chiefly:
Reform In judicial procedure and In the
constitution Of the courts. For more
than twenty-five years the lawyers Of
Nebraska, aided somewhat loosely and
inefficiently by public opinion. have en-
desvored TO bring about the necessary
changes. Much, apparently. has been
accomplished, yet the results are few.
II Is stil a common experience 10 meet
with q delay Of two or three years In the
disposition OF lawsuit, where six
months for the proceedings in the lower
court and the hearing and determination
OF the appeal should be sufficient and
instances are not rare where delays OF
five or six years have occurred in the
more intricate and complicated cases. in
which not more than year and a half
should have been found necessary. II
Is remarkable how people should con-
tinue to submit to the laws delay. as II
II was one OF the necessary evils OF
mundane existence, Just as our ancestors
submitted to typhus. smallpox and yell
low fever until modern science demon
strated that they we're not necessary
Az he anfR
fects IN our system Of administering JUS
tice. which could be removed by more
enlightened system. It will be impossi-
BILE to bring forward discuss and put
into effect successful reforms. except
through the medium OF a constitutional
convention
The short ballot. II is becoming more
and more evident that the reforms in the
election laws, put into effect IN the last
ten years, have not accomplished tho
purpose intended The people OF Ne
braslsa, like the people of other states In
tho union. becoming exasnerated at the
manner IN which political conventions
and the old system Of nominating off
GERS were frequently manipulated by self
ish interests turned instlnetively TO a
more direct and popular control over
nominations The experiment OF the nri-
mary FOR all offices has heen tried. and.
a. applied to the present political sya-
tenn, u has been found wanting, and n
mere change IN the primary laws or a
reversion 10 Some modified convention
system would neither remove the defeets
nor meet tho difficulties In a conatltu-
tlonal convention. ~ which the wahlO
matter could ha fully discussed. the re-
suit would undoubtedly be a great rr-
| dneflOn in the numher ~ elective mlnor
offleee and thereby an Increased control
~ tbs people over the nominations and
election NJ officers and ever the fBHes
I lions - government The changes neess
saN % brine shout a short ballot. ami
such direct control ~ ere psepla over
I tselF avn affaifa can BE- formulated anlY
I IN 4 constitutional convention
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