The Topeka state journal., 1916-12-25
Urges Call for Constitutional
Convention by Legislature.
States Powers AtrOphying; Of
ficiaIS' Hands Are Tied.
GOVERNOR ONLY FIGUREHEAD
Power of Legislature So
Cramped It's Useless.
New Version of "What's the
Matter With Kansas"

Emporia, Kan. Dec. 25.-William
Allen White, chief oracle and head
trainer of the Bull Moose in Kansas
thrusts a brand new splinter into the
Progressives platform with an urgent
appeal for a new Kansas state con- 5
stitution. Not a mere remodeling is
called for He urges a constitutional
convention capable of doing the job
all over and turning out an up-to-date
model junking the old vehicle and
replacing it with one of the eight
cylinder, storage battery ignition. va
cuum feeder, self-starter" kind that
will place state rights back in the
running again
The Gazette editor cites the gradual
uSurpation of state powers by the fed
eral government and views with
alarm. Political powers of the state.
he declares are atrophying; state gov
ernmentS are tremendously ineffi-
cient; governors are mere figureheads
and legislatures are cramped in their
powers and clumsy. Why? Because,
the Emporia sage essays. the state
constitutions are obsolete or worse
No More New Laws.
incidentally, the Emporia editor
frames a program for the coming ses-
sion of the legislature that would
make the average Kansas statesman
dizzy. Not due to its elaborateness,
but to its brevity- 1t stands:
Pass good roads resolution
call a constitutional convention
Pass the appropriation bills.
Then go home"
In an editorial urging this line of
state reform. Mr.. White says:
Period of Reconstruction.
I'VE are going thru a period of pc
litical reconstruction in America. the
most drastic in century. We have
strongly democratized our politics.
/ eleeting senator's directly by the peo-
pie, and by states enfranchising mill
| lions of our women. The primary is
democratizing the party. and we have
all but nationalized the democratic
nomination of our presidents. and
seem near to the popular election OF
presidents. All this is breaking down
state lines. We are about to give in to
national control of our child labor.
our banking, our railroads, our post
roads. and even our schools are show
ing a tendency to become federalized
thru the acceptance of federal aid for
military training.
Scores of political functions that
ten years ago pertained almost entire
ly to the state are atrophying. The
state in our American government is
becoming, for the time at least. more
or less useless. And this is largely
due to the fact that our state govern
Tents are tremendously inefficient
''They are inefficient because state
governments are obsolete They bind
the hands of state officers every time
state officers would do any real vital
thing in modern life, and our govern
ors have become mere figureheads-
plug hated nothings who attend cere-
monies and wish they were of some
real consequence.
"Our state constitutions are largely
to blame. They should be revised
The state has a real place in our
scheme of things. But the state can
not function matters stand The
governor has no power. The legisia-
ture is cramped in its powers and
where it has power, the legislature Is
SO clumsy that it acts slowly The
state officers are clerks, but they are
elected as tho they were statesmen
I'VE need a thoro-going revision of
our state constitutions. Kansas above
other states, must have a new consti-
tuition If it keeps up with the process
sion of modern thought
Time Is Ripe Now.
''The time is ripe for a rewriting of
the Kansas constitution. We are in
a time of political calm. We have no
serious agitation before the people
Party lines and factional lines are
I loosely drawn. We can approach a
new constitution with open minds and
no serious prejudgments. The Kansas
legislature can do no better, than 20
pass a good roads resolution, enable
Kansas to join the federal good roads
movement, then pass a resolution call
ing for a constitutional convention;
then pass the appropriations bills.
and
Then adjourn"