The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1917-19??, 1917-07-26

Go to the polls on July 2S and cast
and for progress. Such a vote would
be in accord with the spirit of patriot.
ism, which is manifesting itself in va
rious directions all over the land.
Every county in Tennessee will have
at least one delegate in the Constitu-
tional Convention, should it be called.
This is a decided advantage over pre-
vious propositions. The smaller coun
ties will be on the same footing with
those of moderate size. Pickett and
Unicoi would each have a delegate
and so would Wilson and Sumner. The
small counties had very little voic9 3
under the plans heretofore promul-
gated
Thirty-seven Tennessee counties, or
over one-third in the State, showed an
actual decrease in population during
the decade ending in/1910, according
to census figures of unquestionable &C.
curacy. The population of nearly all
the agricultural counties was either
about stationary or showed loss.
and the small gain credited to the
state as a whole came from the cities
mainly. Tennessee has dropped from
second in population in 1870 to fifth.
A new Constitution, which would be a
powerful stimulus to all avenues of
development, would go far toward
stopping this depressing showing as to
population.
Ninety-two of the one hundred and
posed Constitutional Convention would
come from agricultural communities,
and only thirty-five from counties con-
tanning cities. The farmers and their
neighbors of the towns and villages
would, therefore, be in clear numerical
control of the convention. The plea
which some who are opposing the con
vent.on have been making that "the
cities would put it over the country"
Is, therefore, so absurd as to be un-
worthy a moments serious attention.
The country delegates would out-num-
ber those from the cities over two
and half to one When one vote
weighs more than nearly three the
silly plea referred to will have some
force.
Would good men" go to Constitu-
tional Convention, were one called?
The lessons of the past are the surest
guide for the future. The three Con-
stitutional Conventions which have
been held already in Tennessee were
the most distinguished bodies. ever as
sembled within it's borders, that of
1870, the one nearest to us, being the
ablest Of all. The people ruled in
them all; the ablest, most honored
men in the state, taken as whole,
we're members. Each county We'd
with its neighbors to select its strong
est man to represent 1t. What reason
is there for fearing that the people OF
the state having gone to the pains and
expense of securing convention will
lose all interest in 1t and permit just
any sort of fellow to be elected dele
gate?
When a man knows that he is really
sick and sees the need of medicine, he
realizes that the best time to take 1t is
NOW-to step the malady and put
him on his feet as soon as possible.
He is not very apt to turn patient
ear to the suggestion that the time is
not "opportune" for medicine taking.
that he had better wait until he feels
worse, to plan to take the cure next
year or some other year. Tennessee
is sick, is very sick, of stagnation of
energy, lethargy, of failure to reach
out and develop her agricultural and
Industrial resources. The federal gov
ernment Is telling us that and warn
ing us with figures that show an ap-
palling drop in prestige among the
states of the South. Tennessee needs
the medicine Of constitutional revis-
ion; so say all. Then why suggest to
the state a rclicy Of delay that no
sane man would for moment listen
to as to himself3