The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1917-07-12
Public Sentiment Strong
For Convention

President J. l.. McWhorter of the
Constitutional Convention League is a
busy man these days. Corie1 cAtcnce
coming in from over the state makes
him an optimist as to the result Of the
election on July 28 In an interview
he said
Many Of the strongest democrats
and republicans of East Tennessee FOR
the first time in generation are unit.
ed in active support of highly impor-
tant public movement which relates
to state government. They are for a
Constitutional Convention, and the fact
that it is upon non partisan, non-fac-
tional, absolutely fair basis, free from
party intrigue, is bringing public men
and adherents of all parties together
in active advocacy of it.
"Only last Saturday the democratic
executive committee of Hamilton Coun-
ty at largely attended meeting,
pledged its, support to the convention
In a formal resolution and agreed to
cooperate with the campaign commit.
bers, of citizens of all parties, which
had already been appointed. They
realized that the present is the time
for action and that the suggestion
heard in some quarters that the war
made it inopportune lacks force and
should not be needed in the presence
of the urgent needs of the state.
$50 spoke the representatives of the
organized democracy of Hamilton.
Hon. J A Fowler of Knoxville, one
of the foremost republicans in the
state, who was once the candidate of
his party for Governor, isequally EN-:
phatic He gives clear reasons why
the present is the very time of all for
a convention to be held. He says:
"'What is the matter with the pres.
ent time? Never since the Civil War
have political prejudices been so little
manifested. This was shown even be-
fore we entered upon rne war by the
fair apportionment in representation
in the convention provided for in the
act submitting the question to the peo
pie, and never has the public mind
been more sober and conservative.
"'Our Constitution is a great instru.
ment Nearly all of its basic princi
pies were contained in the Constitu
tion of 1896, and the inhabitants of the
state haze been living under those
principles for nearly q century and a
quarter. A few amendments are now
imperatively demanded, but no con
vention should assemble imbuel with
the idea that the Constitution should
be torn to pieces, and public sentiment
Is now especially favorable for con.
servative convention.
"'Again, during and after the war,
there will be readjustment OF indus
trial development and there will arise
l struggle among the nations for in.
lustrial and commercial supremacy,
and in that development in this coun.
try there will naturally be a rivalry
among the states.
"'Shall we start in that contest ham
dicapped with existing constitutional
restrictions? Would 1t not be wise
that we make preparations for that pc
riod, which, economically must stand
out as one of the most important OF
the century.
"'The objection suggested is, that
the minds of the people are too deeply
absorbed with the war, and the condi.
tions arising from it, to give proper
consideration to the questions which
VIII arise in the convention, and be.
fore the people, when the amendments
shall be submitted to the vote of the
people But business is certainly not
suffering for the lack of attention upon
the part of business men, The peo.
pie have been aroused 10 the neces
sity of producing and conserving food,
and to other matters which pertain to
the war, and they can certainly be