The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-12-05

1s,s.1. s.. SInattm
Axoue: Kt1e1y DsFnit -, . chair-i!
- g - fnssttng helA III ths
coqee he1qe la1t SatQtday Nkning.|
NA1cl 1o91rA McCaskrfn anal
Dlees Ae1ote1 IL constttntionA III
49, . eo8feet the impression
eAthe9 = II. Diets fhs4 he indiyid-I
ueily wassekarxsd With having ne
traysd2 - peopie. Slncs your
news report ~ Tie meeting quoted1
1T Dies - 20 saytng In Lii reply
70 ~. AcCAekyin,. feel that II IL
due IN. NeCAskrtnst to explain that
Ne did not "a his speech charge any
individual delegate 70 the late con-
etiteft0nal cnnventtoa With having
.betfayeds IL pe0ple In disregard
Sng ne pr0positiOns submitted To-
and adopted W the voters n the
election Of Nov. 4. 1913. am sure
tPat HI. McCaskrin used this rather
severe expfessich only IN reference
to the dopinatiag majority Of that
conventi0nt and 8 he made use OF
It before Mr.. Diets, Who spoke later.
bad acknowledged that he person
Ally had found It inexpedient to
support the insertion Of the fnitia-,
tive and. referendum IN the new
constitution, itr9eems' quits certain,
that Mr.. McCaskfin lid not aim
this expression 1t MI. Dietx person.
ally. InAsmuch - my invitation to-
Mr.. Dietz assured him of courteous
treatment, and was BAKED upon the
desire to have him come before us,
az citizens and taxpayers, to ex-
plain the provisions OF the proposed
document from his standpoint as
orr county's delegate to the franz
ing conventional regret very much
that he regarded the expression be-
trayed" as levied at him personally.
His explanation that he found it in
possible. after entering the conven-
ton, to support the Initiative and
referendum orf~accounf OF the prop
osition involving the balloting upon
legislation by the people by q ma
1ority vote, whereas he felt bound
. to Join in the movement to limit
the power OF Cook county in this
respect, undoubtedly was made with
! . clear conscience, as hei stated in
his speech. But, probably due to
the lateness OF the hour, Mr.. Dietz
failed to inform the meetiAg as to
his position in the convention on
the second and third propositions
which were submitted to the people
Nov. 4, 1919, and upon which the
, voters gave affirmative instructions,
to-wit, the public ownership of pub
lie utilities and the liberation Of
the amending process Of our con-
stitutional law. Since these prin-
eiples, as well as that of the initia-
tive and referendum. we're not in
serted in the document, or placed
with 1t for separate submission to
the people in the referendum Of
Dec. IL, 1t would seem nc more than
proper that Delegates Dietz and
Carlstrom; as u representatives.
in the framing convention, should
make q frank statement of the 'rea-
son for thus departing from the
voters instruction. Our organiza-
ton is not partisan, and l am glad
to say also that it is not narrow or
content to hear only the facts which
afe most palatable to its members.
What we desire above all else is the
truth, and while we are exerting
every effort we a TO arouse the
people to the obvious dangers in
yolved in this proposed %constitu-
ton, we are hospitable toward any
revelation Mr.. Dietz may e fit to
make of its merits, if any it has,
and to that end he will be welcome
to appear at our next meeting, of
which announcement will be made
later. In seeking to have this i'm
portant issue, the most important
perhaps which this generation shall
be called to pass upon, debated, it is
my purpose only to have the truth
better presented, SO the voters may
clearly understand their duty Dec.
IL, and not, as some may suppose,
to demonstrate which man is the
best deRter. l am glad also to note
\ a growing tendency in the local
Ipress to treat this great issue in
an impartial spirit with the idea OF
educating rather than prejudicing
their readers, for this is above
everything else a reading PROPOSE
ton. A work SO abstruse and subtle
as this proposed constitution Re-
quires the quiet of ones library for
it to beO delved into, and v e then
the -layman must feel the need OF
interpretative assistance.
\ Yours truly,
MYRON JORDAN.
Secretary Peoples League of ILL
nois.