The Semi-weekly leader., 1920-03-17
OPPOSES REVISION
OF CONSTITUTION
Representative Mahon Of Mar
shall County Is Against
Convention.

convention.
Jackson, Miss, March 14.-Rep-
resentative H. X. Mahon of Marshall
county has now arrayed himself in
opposition to the constitutional con-
vention sought to be called by former
governor Noel, member of the Sen
ate. A resolution to call the con-
vention already has passed the SEN
ate, but Mr.. Mahon expects to night
the proposition in the House. He
says
"All government Of right orlgi-
mates with the people and is founded
upon their will only and do not
believe that it is the will of the peo-
pie OF Mississippi, as long as present
conditions exist, to open the food
gates of radicalism, paliticalism and
commercialism which is rampant, up
on the fundamentals of our govern
ment and subject the structure to
the whirlwind of unsettled conditions
in this state, nation and the whole
world, which might produce cross
between the varied pragmatic utter.
ances of political doctrinaires.
This matter has not been discuss
ed by or with the people of the state,
under present conditions, which does
seem will last several years yet, and
no way provided to obtain their will.
"They have the right under the
amendment to Section 3S of the Con-
stitution providing, initiative and re-
ferendum to initiate an amendment
to the Constitution, which they have
not exercised and have passed every
amendment to the constitution sub
mitted to them that they believe to
be fair, equitable and just.
The prohibition, rights and pri-
vileges of the present Constitution is
generally understood, and it has cost
the people of the state hundreds Of
thousands of dollars to maintain the
courts to construe this Constitution
and laws based thereon and the liti-
gants of this state millions of dollars
to have their meanings settled, by
the courts, to say nothing of the
$4,000 appropriated by this bill to
pay the expenses of the convention,
which makes the unconstitutionality
of this bill, under Section so of the
Constitution, questionable.
''ff the Constitution is rewritten
and varies, new laws will have to be
written to conform to It, and the
people will have to incur the expense
of having them construed again.
There is no urgent necessity for
constitutional convention. The con-
stitution has been amended many
times, and the vitals retained and
formerly it took four years for an a.
mendment to become effective, but
the Constitution has been changed
so that 1t only takes two years now.
There was some demand for a
constitutional convention from the
southern part of the state so that
the dispersement of the public school
funds might be distributed so as to
give the children of that section the
same opportunities as the children of
other sections which have other funds
from which to draw, but the Con-
stitution has been so changed that
the Legislature can solve this prob
lem and be within the Constitution
of the United States, which legisla-
tion has been provided for at this
session which eliminates that ques-
ton of difficult solution which /
believe must be handled, under pres
ent conditions, by legislation.
"The question of re-appointment
of the representatives of the state is
mentioned; commend the wisdom
of the convention Of 1890 IS diytd-
/ think 1t was wise for them to name
the minimum number to be chosen
from each district as provided in
Section 256 of the Constitution.
Thus, they give to the two districts.
embracing the hill counties white
counties) the largest representative
vote, each district not to have less
than forty-four representatives In
the lower house, and If there was
any reduction of representation It
was to be uniform in each of the
three districts. The two hill divis-
ions of the state (the northeast and
the southern) show a comparatively
slight difference in population (the
difference being in. favor of the
southern) according to the census of
1910, since which time they have
by creating new counties, increased
the number of their representatives
to more than fifty.
THE western counties, all black
counties, show considerably larger
population than either of the other
districts, and have only forty-four
representatives. Surely no one would
insist on a convention in apportion-
ing the representatives according to
population, which is the only safe
and recognized basis OF representa-
tion unless 1t is. conceded that the
western division is entitled to an In
crease in proportion to It's popula-
ton, and If this Is done both the
northeast division and the southern
division will lose representation. |
which is all right so long as condit- |
ions remain as they are, but that is |
where we are approaching danger.
and, like Moses standing before the /
burning bush, we will be treading
upon grounds sacred to the hearts |
and pride of every true Mississip-
plan.
Il must also commend the wisdom
and patriotism Of the delegates in
the convention of 1890 from the
western division induced by the self
to accede to the present
plan Of apportionment, and there
seems to be no demand from that
section Of the state on the question
Of reapportionment.
The, men who composed the con-
Yention in 1890 were men Of great
ability and vision, and their wisdom
has been demonstrated by the years
-. /