Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1922-11-03

terms in comprehensive report
unanimously adopted at the fortietf
annual convention of the Illinois State
Federation of Labor at Rockford, Ill
Local unions and central bodies
throughout the state are urged 10 dc
everything within their power to as
-ure the defeat of the proposed new
law.
rhe following is a copy of the re-
mort as unanimously adopted by the
Rockford Convention:
The Proposed New State Constitution
The proposed new state constitution
as drafted by constitutional conven-
ton Of Illinois is document replete
with covert phrases and hidden mean
iuqs. A mere reading of the draft,
even before comparing it with the
ureSent constitution, is sufficient to
arouse suspicion that the proposed
new constitution has been written in
language deliberately intended to pre-
vent any public understanding of its
terms. The character of the So
called address to the People, as
officially adopted by the constitutional
convention, containing an alleged de-
scription of the proposed new law,
tends to confirm such suspicious,
which re further strengthened by the
significant omissions which are ap-
parent in the explanatory notes"
printed opposite to the sections of the
new draft in the publication COM
piled by the constitutional convention
and now being circulated at the ex-
pense of the tax payers. 1t is signi-
ficant that in these so-called explana-
tory notes no explanation is offered to
show the meaning and effect of the
changes in the proposed new basic
law as compared with the present con-
stitution. The citizens of the state
are therefore left to their own re-
sources in determining the intent and
purpose of the various sections of the
proposed new constitution and of the
document as a whole, while state
funds are being used to print and
spread broadcast over the state pro-
paganda publication intended for the
sole purpose of inducing the citizens
to ratify the draft.
In 1870, when the present constitu-
tion was adopted, the people were
given an opportunity to vote on nine
separate propositions, any of which
they might accept or reject. No such
latitude of choice is offered to the
people now, however, and when they
enter the polls on Dec. IL they may
only decide on the single issue of
adopting as a whole or defeating as
whole, the proposed new constitu-
ton. 1t rs a fundamental American
doctrine that government derives their
just power only by the consent of the
people. The constitution therefore is
a limited grant of power by the citi-
zens for the purpose of government.
The consent of the people, when it is
given, applies not only to those who
had the opportunity to register their
votes at the time of ratification end
to all persons within the jurisdiction
Of the state at the time, but also to
future generations. Each citizen of
the state of Illinois, accordingly, must
now act in representative capacity
IN that every voter must decide not
only for himself but for his children
and his children's children. An un-
wise and extreme grant of power is
exceedingly difficult to revoke. There
IS grave danger that the people will
tNl to distinguish between the char
lcter. and elect of constitutional
grant OF power as compared with a
mere legislative enactment. In justi-
heatlon Of various sections of the pro-
posed new constitution which convey
practically unlimited powers upon GER
tam government bodies and officials,
y Is now argued that laws somewhat
similar to those provisions have been
enacted by few state legislatures or
nave been declared rules of the courts
IN other countries. We must remem-
per and the people everywhere must
be reminded that a purely legislative
enactment may be amended or re-
pealed at any session of the legisla-
I'VE body which meets regularly at
frequent intervals and that court
rules are ordinarily subject to legis-
!auNe action. A grant of power writ
zen into the constitution, however,
can not be amended or repealed or
IN any way changed or modified ex-
cept through the very difficult method
ol constitutional amendment.
II the voters of Illinois ratify the
AANN IollSkllullOIl, dIl Tic DcO-
PIE OF our state will soon find them
serves enmeshed in a net work of
legailsm beyond the understanding of
any person except the nine individuals
VINO, as members of the Supreme
court, will be the sovereigns of ILL
noiS,eNeept insofar as they will be con-
rolied by political bosses to whose
ueSires they must give most careful
attentlon unless they themselves can
become the political party dictators.
Unequal representation in the state
legislature is provided for in the pro-
posed new draft effecting not only the
lepfesentation of Cook County in the
senate but also representation in
e.ery industrial center throughout the
state IN the lower house by a peculiar
@ha unstaple and insecure method of
spporaonment on the basis of votes
cast in a given election instead of
voters.
Ihe revenue article of the proposed
Ee" constitution was evidently framed
itOI me specific purpose of safeguard
tlE ~ large incomes from taxation in the
lure and to legalize the very tax
eodg,ng that has so long incensed the
geople OF the state. The wage Garner,
, r.e farmer and the average business
,as ,,,aa VIII secure no relief from their
s1 osA problems if the new draft is
3, me power of the general assembly
r. ~ enact laws for the protection of the
PIE VIII be very seriously curtailed
=, ,,lls, ne new constitution is ratified. Il
p.o9lolts r,, the enactment in Illinois of
.'tsya "a !; OIL the legislation already enact
me people.
s+a4s aany Of the existing statutes in the
h, s'e OF illinois will be made invalid