Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-15
CAN PREJUDICE DEFEAT
CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION?
Il Cannot Do II " Electors with Conf
denee In Representative Democracy
Vote Riaht Next Tuesday

w Constitution of the State is to be held
will be decided at the primary elections
next Tuesday.
The electors will be asked to vote YES
or mo" on the question of holding the
convention and to vote for the nomination
of delegates.
II the verdict is in favor Of the convention
the names of the delegates nominated will
go on the ticket to be voted at the Novem-
Der election.
II the verdict is against the convention,
the nominated delegates will be ignored and
1t will be as though they had not been
named at the primaries.
Every voter with a sense Of his respon-
sibilites as a citizen and with a proper
desire that the Constitution be modernized
and that its contradictory provisions be re-
moved will vote in favor of holding the con-
vention.
There is organized opposition to the con-
vention, but not a single calid objection mas
been raised to il.
One group Of persons objects because
under the law providing for submitting the
question to the voters and fixing the number
Of delegates and the method of their choice
the Governor is empowered to appoint
twenty five delegates.
The objectors profess to believe that the
Governor cannot be trusted to name dele
gates who will be loyal to the public In
terests. They forget that their representa-
tives in the Legislature approved this plan
with full knowledge Of what it meant.
The legislators were aware that a ma
jority Of the delegates would be selected by
the local politicians and that the men chosen
in many instances would be without special
qualifications for the work they were to do.
They knew also that some of the ablest men
in the State, men who ought to be sum-
moned to serve IL the Constitution is to be
revised, would not make fight for election
as a delegate.
Therefore, in order that the State might
have the benefit Of the wisdom and expert
ence Of these men, the Legislature empow-
cred the Governor to select twenty five
delegates, confident that he would be guided
in his selection by high sense of his public
duty.
II the Governor can be trusted to name
the Attorney General, the Superintendent
of Public instruction, the Highway Com
missioner the Commissioner of Public
Health and the Commissioner of Public
Welfare and Judges of all courts Of record
in case OF vacancies, he certainly ought to
be trusted to name a small minority of the
delegates to a Constitutional Convention.
Governor Sproul, as a matter Of fact,
has selected the heads Of the State depart
ments with n view solely to their qualifca-
tions. He will use the same standard in
appointing delegates to the convention.
The convention Is opposed by a group
of sectarians whose members fear that if
the Constitution is revised the door will be
opened for the appropriation of public money
to sectarian institutions now forbidden.
Their fear Is groundlcss.
II one thing is established more firmly
than any other in the American political
system it is that the State must not be taxed
to support religious institutions of any
kind, whether they be schools or hospitals or
orphanages or what not.
The State does not interfere with a mans
religious belief, and it will not tax a man
Of one sect to support the institutions Of
another sect.
It is doubtful IL single delegate could be
elected to the convention who would favor
q reversal Of this policy.
Besides the necessity for a general re-
vision of the Constitution. there are two
immediate and pressing needs which cannot
be met unless provision is made for them
In the speedy manner possible to a con-
vention.
One Is the financial provision for o cele-
tration Of the one hundred and fftieth ami
versary of the adoption of the Declaration
Of independence in 1925.
This city has no power at the present
time to raise the money needed for the pro-
posed international fair. 1t can get that
power only through n change In the Consti-
tuition. That change cannot be brought
about by the ordinary process of amendment
until 1925, 1ohen 1t nouId be too late to be
Of any use.
The other need is provision for a con-
tinuance Of the State road building pro-
gram. BY the end of 1923 the sum Of
$50, 900, 900 authorized by the voters in 1918
as State bond issue for the Improvement
of the highways will have been spent.
without a change in the Consultation no
money will be available for this purpose
after 1923, save the automobile license fees.
and the Constitution cannot be changed
until 1925, or two years after the present
fund Is exhausted.
1t is proposed to put In the revised Con-
stitution an authorization to incur high
way debt not to exceed $3.50, 900, 900. II
the convention should be held and this pro-
vision be included in the revised document,
and If the voters should radfy it at the
polls, the way would be open for continuing
without interruption the work of giving this
State the best highway system in the
country.
Every automobhist is personally inter
.sted in this matter. There are more than
600 900 of them in the State, or enough to
insure the holding Of a convention If every
one Of them votes right next Tuesday.
Every pretext offered by the opponents
of the convention is an appeal to prejudice
or intolerance or reaction.
Eyprv arVument In favor nf n ia haSad