The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-04-19
THE LEAGUE

Many view the League program for amending the state constitution as
revolutionary. Perhaps it was. 1t as certainly out of the ordinary. But
in this country we have done many things that were ID different st from 6,mav what a.
customary or considered the established rule. In fact all progress is the
All power being inherent in the people and the majority being recognized
as responsible for its constitution as we'll as for shaping the policy of it's
government, the question then recurs az to what the majority may demand
in the premises. ' NN
Is there any question as to what the present majority demands?
Was not that demand clearly expressed last June and again on the 9TH
of November?
Admitting that there ire honest differences of opinion as to time and
method of procedure for amending the constitution, will delay change the
sentiment of the people? Will the majority change its views by deferring
action for two O. four year? Scarcely, for the reason that the conditions
complained OF are deep seated Will n prospect of a remedy except by con-
sttutional amendments that will give farmers the desired relief. They ex-
pect nothing from their opponents. They are offered nothing by them. The
only wonder is that the complicated changes were not demanded more than
The bone of contention, however, seems to be whether the voters should
give expression to their views in some way and time different from what
many of the hold-over senators considered to be strictly according to the
provisions of the constitution which the state has worked under during the
Admitting that ordinarily it is best to conform to established usage, nev-
the majority, demand something different, both as to substance and
method If procedure. And being superior, as they contend, to the thing that
do lot o wish to be hampered by what a majority of voters did then. In
other words the majority of present day voters r. not satisfied with the
constitution adopted more than a quarter of a century ago.
ms raises the delicate question whether the people or the constitution
should be strictly obeyed?
provisions of the present constitution Others con+end +h+ +ha m"laa ~s f
the 1889 constitution were n 10 wiser than those of the present generation,
and that lnasmuch as n change can be made except it be ratified by the
revision, it does not make an material difference just how OF when the pro-
posed changes are submitted to the people.
That the people are supreme n % m questions. The makers of a const.
tuition are superior to the constitution which they create. The only question
of Importance, therefore, hinges on whether n or the other of the proposed
methods would best have complied with the will of the voters. Will the
voters be wise two or four years hence? Or are they prepared and competent
to give expression to their views at any suitable time and enjoy the additional
relief that two o. four years would deprive them Of?
Admitting further that both sides to the controversy were sincere n
their contentious and that legislators were being impotuned pro and con-
rom what source did the opposition to the Leagues program emanate-
both in and out of the state? From what source were legislators importunec
to amend the constitution without unnecessary delay?-New Rockford State
Center.
It might be interesting to m to know that Usher L. Burdck is a mem
Der of the Nonpartan League and of the. strong League boosters in
Williams county