Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-15
SPROUL Is FOR 1T
And Every One Else Should Join Him in
Demanding a Convention to Revise
the Constitution


brings that desirable result much nearer.
Four years ago Governor Brumbaugh
and Attorney General Brown urged legis-
lation providing for constitutional
convention. But the leaders in the
General Assembly killed the project.
They professed to fear the radicals and
desired to prevent revision of the
fundamental law at their hands. They
said in effect that we had worried along
for about forty years with the Consti-
tuition as it is and that there was no
haste.
But they were strong in their facts
and unwisc in their conclusions. The
Constitution is so unsatisfactory that it
has to be amended every two years. Not
session Of the Legislature passes with
out arranging for submission to the
voters of one or more amendments.
Mr.. Sproul now favors thorough
revision of the fundamental law. Senator
Ware. who favored it four years ago, still
thinks it should be done. Governor
Brumbaugh was mere dummy so far as
individual influence was concerned. He
could not make any impression on the
General Assembly. Mr.. Sproul is
leader in his own right. His judgment
is respected and followed by lesser
leaders in various parts Of the Common
wealth. When he says that the C0nstl-
tuition must be revised it means some
thing. Senator Pcnrosc ought to throw
his influence in favor Of the project.
When he does we shall have substantial
unanimty among the Republic leaders
and nothing will remain to be done but
to arrange the details.
Now, what kind of a Constitution shall
we have?
The defects Of the existing instrument
are admitted. The necessity of amending
it every two years proves that 1t has
fundamental weaknesses. If it were
what it should be it would need amending
as rarely as the Federal Constitution.
The men who drafted that immortal
document knew that there should be
nothing in Constitution beyond
declaration of principles and a delegation
Of power to specified agents Of the
people. They did not make their Constl-
tuition a body Of Legislation to meet
conditions which were bound to change
Our own Constitution, dealing with the
affairs of single Commonwealth
covers thirty-four pages in Smulls
Handbook, while the Federal Constitution
!, irIs p4 pD q u,
| document is devoted to legislation which
| should have been left to the General
| Assembly and to the various munich
palities.
The revised Constitution should contain
grant of rower to the great cities to
deal with the details Of their own affairs.
| This would save the General Assembly
much work and it would give much
needed home rule to the municipalities.
! For example, the hands of Philadelphia
are so tied that it cannot make arrange
! ments for cleaning its ownsstreets by its
own force of men without asking Harris
| burg for permission. Neither can 1t
| increase its school tax beyond six mills
without getting consent of the repre-
sentatives from the other parts OF the
| State. That is, we have no control over
the amount of our own money we may
spend for the education of our own
children.
1t is not necessary to go into further
details The whole body of legislation
should be wiped out of the Constitution
Csnn1hIU
cities should be empowered to deal with
all subjects the proper treatment OF
which changes with changing conditions
The excuse which blocked the constitu'
tional convention four years ago may be
made now, but it is no more valid now
than it was then. There is too mucE
sound sense in Pennsylvania to tolerate
such an insane Constitution as Oklahoma
adopted when it was admitted to th
Union. The radicals will, of course
demand the introduction of numerou
, nostrums into it, but no nostrum eve
, worked cure either in medicine or i
politics. It is possible to elect as dele
gates to convention group of san
and sound thinking citizens, who's
: counses will prevail by virtue of thci
, soundness and their sanity. Eve
= radicals, except the extremists of then
are amenable to reason. They seek wha
they regard as the greatest good for tn
greatest number. And the rest of US ar
seeking the same end.
, What we want above all things is
=. Constitution which will leave the peopl
! of the State free to be as radical or a
= conservative as they choose through tn
/, action of their representatives in til
l General Assembly. We want neithe
radicalism nor conservatism as such
the Constitution, but, as we said abov
= we do want a declaration of principle
. and a grant Of power to elected servant
:, of the people.