The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1917-06-28
The Convention Movement
NOR-Partisan

One of the reasons why the move
ment for a Constitutional Convention
is stronger than ever sis that it has
been placed upon a basis so manifest
ly fair to all political parties and to
all classes, and so clearly removed
from the purpose of opportunity OF
partisan intrigue or party advantage.
that the public men and people of all
shades of political belief may unite
without any excuse or need for dis
trust.
And so it naturally happens that
men who have widely differed on
many questions, are, indeed, found
united in advocacy of the convention,
They are not democrats, republicans,
or other partisans, i'll the presence Of
this proposition, which appeals to
common patriotism. The spirit OF
factionalism and feud is relegated to
the rear; people are thinking in
stronger, finer, higher vein as to mat.
ters of state duty and destiny.
This week has afforded striking evi.
dence of the fact that many leaders in
both the foremost parties in Tennes'
see are aligning themselves with equal
zeal in advocacy Of Constitutional
Convention. Gov. Rye and Hon. ],
Will Taylor, former State Insurance
Commissioner, and present chairman
Of the Republican Executive Commit,
tee of Tennessee, have made public
declarations of their interest In the
movement. Many years ago, when the
proposition was before the people Gov
ernor Rye, in fact, took the stump in
support of it, and he still stands for
revision of the organic law. To rep
resentative of the Constitutional Con
vention League, he has made the fol-
lowing statement: "I have previously
expressed myself in favor of a COR
stitutional Convention, and still be-
lieve that the organe law needs re-
vision The constitution of today in
its main outlines is the instrument
framed in 1884, and is not, and cannot
therefore, be adjusted accura tely to
existing conditions.
at is of the very highest Importance
if the people on July 2S declare in ia
vor of the. proposition, that they
should exercise the most careful scrut
my and send only the strongest, most
patriotic and purest men in the state
to the convention"
Mr.. Taylorr in communication to
the Convention League, expresses
himself in the strongest terms. He
says:
LAS to the need of revision of our
Tennessee constitution, submit that
in my opinion a proper revision of our
constitution is imperative. Owing to
the extreme factionalism of the past
years, | have felt that the times were
not opportune for the performance OF
such an important work. However. II
occurs to me that factionalsm and
partisanism have so subsidized in Ten. !
nessee that we can now go about this
great deliberation with the patriotic
breadth and fidelity to public duty
which should characterize such an un.
dertaking, and for that reason, | am
in favor of the proposi.
tion. The representation provided by
the Act is so manifestly fair and equi
table as to guarantee a square deal to
all sections and parties in the state,
and am led to believe that the move
ment to revise our constitution is
impregnated with a truly
wholesome and patriotic spirit"
The circumstance that, both the
governor and the head OF +
the republican party organization in
the state are advocating the conven-
ton speaks eloquently Of the realiza.
ton by both public men and the
masses of citizens Of the auspicious
fact that there is no partisan politics
about this great and patriotic and
needed movement.