Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-12-19
WOODWARD GIVES
HIS VIEWS ON 1920
BASIC LAW MEETING
OTTAWA DELEGATE TELLS ROTA.
RAMS HIS IDEAS OF NEW CON.
STiTUTlON FOR iLLiNOi St
AND r. AND MINORITY REPRE-.
SENTATlON HIT.

UiOhtu III 'opIln6Htlu, were very ANY
discussed last night by Delegate
Charles u. Woodward at the regula!
monthly meeting of the OTTAWA Ro
tary Club. I'm view of the importan.
part he Will play in framing ne's
constitution for Illinois. Mr.. Wood
wards address occasioned more than
ordinary interest.
Hts position as legal adviser to the
governor, whose word with the con
vention will be almost final, places
Mr.. Woodward among the front ranhS
of the delegates and gives to him pres
tage that few others will have
The audience which heard him an
plauded frequently as he stirred Their
patriotism with appeal after appeal
for unallOyed, red-blooded American
ism at this time The speaker, being
among the first of the newly elected
delegates to express in public the aim
ne hopes to achieve through the con
yentiOn, has set an example for his
colleagues TO follow.
He said in part:
''On Jan. 6. 1920. convention rare
In the annals Of Illinois. will conven"
a, Springfield During tn century o!
its existence only three times havA
the representatives OF the people been
cOnvOked to consider teh fundament Il
laws Ae generation has passed sine
the people entrusted any body of men
with the magnitude OF the task thif
they have coniided to their chosen de-
egates. The rarity of the occasion
the seriousness Of the purpose, the i'm.
pOrtance of the principles involved
marked the distinction of the work
NO only is the occasion rare, BIZ.
the time Is critical
The world is just emerging from
chaos. The great war lCosed us from
our moOrings The fabric OF our so
cial structure is rent and torn. \
many respects our national life he's
been unsettled
All Governments Totter.
All systems of human government
have felt the shock OF arms. Govern
ments have fallen in bewilderng con
fusion. Anarchy. bolsheyism and all
the milder forms OF discomfort and dis-
order are abroad in the world False
prophets and demagogues, the spawn
OF soviet Russia. drunk with power
now seek to spread their nefariouS
doctrines throughout our country
Their agents are here. and, aided b.
the discontinued and turbulent. are
making a determined assault upon orr
own institutions.
The present dangers have not been
wholly produced by the eXigencies OF
war. Insidious doctrines, pernlciouf
in tendency and destructive OF faitl
in our political institutions, had been
inculcated
AT time of political ferment ami
social unrest, OF upheavals OF govern
ment and world anarchy, of the prey
alence OF doctrines derosatary TO or
derly liberty, the delegates to the cor
stitutiOnal convention will conVen''
To many the time did not seem pro
DitiOus. Whether so or not the peo'
Dle decreed the calling of conVei'
ton.
Upon the delegates rest a solemn
and serious responsibility To them
comes an opportunity rare in the his
tory OF states.
Now is the time for straight think
Ing. Ii Is the time when intelligence,
wisdom and courage must be asserted
not only by delegates to the conven'
ton but by all others who would rally
10 the protection and conservation ot
American ideals The basic principles
are few, but simple.
Cites Basic Law Of 1887.
"A group of statesmen met at Phila-
delphia in 1877. They were men 4
vision, Of understanding, Of menti
acumen, OF scholarly attachments AM
OF practical wisdom. From their d.
liberations the constitution of tn"
United States was evolved.
They established republican
form of government II Is not an ait
tocracy. 1t is not a democracy. II
Is republic.
THE distinctive character of an al
tOcracy is that Of hereditary rule; OF
democracy, turbulence, lawlesSneS"'
oppression and rebellion.
we are in no danger of an autoc-
racy--one extreme which our forefa''l-
prs avoided Our danger comes from
the other extreme--that of a democ
racv.
"A republic is a democracy made
safe.
The federal constitution has been
pronounced by the most eminent
minds OF the world as the greatest
document of its kind in history. The
classic eulogium was pronounced bv
Gladstone when he said that it was
the most wonderful work ever struck
of at a given time by the brain and
purpose of man.,
"That instrument is great because
OF It's directness concisenes and sim
plicity. It Is a chart Of general prin-
ciples
III there energies from this conven-
ton q constitution based upon this
ideal--an ideal approved by the es.
perience Of the federal constitution
Illinois will have a constitution sl'
perior to that of any other state.
States Don't Follow Example.
unfortunately the states have de.
parted from sound principles of con
stitution making. Their constitutions
instead Of dealing with fundamentals.
have become statutory enactments. T.
ia a common observation that the
states have not functioned as well as
the federal government One reason
IN that they have not had the instrn.
mentalities through which they could
n..,...t.., hnvnI