The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-18
APPEALS FOR
ADoP ton OF
CONSTITUTION


Urbana, ILL.,, Nov. 1S.-Geotge E.
Cole Of Chicago. Styled by some
'the father Of the Constitutional
convention movement" and one
time head of the Municipal Voters
league, the Citisens' Association of
Chicago, the Executive Voters
league and the Initiative and ref
erendum league Of Illinois, appeal
ed today ito every citizen who has
the welfare Of the state 1t heart to
vote for the new constitution. on
the simple ground that we have
everything to gain and nothing to
lose by adoption"
The appeal, written at the APP
peal of Justice O. N. Carter OF the
supreme court, chairman OF the
committee for adoption. was made
public here by the constitutional
convention committee on submits
sion and address.
zone exceedingly important con-
sideration that is being overlooked
at this time" he writes, "is that II
the proposed new constitution is
rejected on Dec. II, It will be i'm
possible to get another constitu-
tional convention called in this
state for many years to come. As
one Of those who for years carried
On the tedious and uphill fight to in
duce the legislature to submit the
calling of . convention to the peo-
pie, / do not hesitate to say that
failure to ratify this constitution will
end all chance OF getting relief
through a constitutional convention
for at least 20 years. The common
sense course for the voters to follow
at this time is to take the large
improvements offered BY the new
constitution and Immediately after
election set out to secure, by the
process Of amendment, the other
things that We wanted from the
constitutional convention, but did
not get.
sBetter Than Nothing"
Il have long been an advocate OF
q state initiative and referendum
and am disappointed that the con-
stitudonal convention did not pro-
vide such measures in the pro-
posed new constitution. But / can
not agree with those who want the
new constitution defeated because
of its omission. Progress is not
made that way. To vote against a
| new constitution that is distinctly
better than the old one in its posi-.
tive features because the new con.
! stitution does not contain every
thing we want is to do injustice t.
the commonwealth.
| 1T does away with the cumula.
tive voting system that has beer
a serious obstacle in the way oil
getting q more representative leg
islature, since that system ha:
tended to make legislators unre
sponsive to public opinion and in
different to proposed reform. Fol
many years good citizens have beer
seeking to abolish that bar to bet
ter government at Springfield.
1T substantially betters the tax.
alton system of the state by EN-.
towering the legislature to enact
q state income tax law, which will
tend to give relief to the small tax
payers.
Although the amending article
| is not as literal As l would have
liked, it makes the process OIL
amending the constitution decided.
ly easier. Under the new plan, the
legislature may submit amend.
ments to two articles at . time
instead Of one.
my view is that we ought tt
adopt the new constitution and
then proceed to amend 1t so as tt
make it include any important
features which the convention maj
have omitted"