The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-06-12
GOODRICH CITES
NEED OF BASIC
LAW REVISION
Constitutional Convention
Group Hears Plea by
Former Governor.

Indiana Is the most conservative
state in the Union. If constitu-
tional convention IS called and a
new Constitution drafted, there will
be little danger of its being accepted
by our people unless it is a safe and
sane documents, asserted former
Governor James P. Goodrich.
Fear Of the people is the only
argument against the constitutional
convention. Knowing our people,
feel this fear unfounded," the former
Governor said in urging all HOLSTERS
70 vote favorably on the referendum
for a constitutional convention
which will be on the ballot at the
election this fall. He spoke at a
dinner of the newly organized Con-
stitutional Convention League of
Indiana at the ClaypooI Wednesday
night.
Organization Perfected
Organization Of the league was
perfected at an afternoon meeting
and plans were drafted to campaign
for the constitutional convention
throughout the state.
Indiana Federation of Women's
Clubs, League of Women Voters,
Real Estate Board, State Fedora
ton Of Labor and the Indiana Farm
Bureau were organizations repre-
sented at the meeting and the din
ner.
There is a lot Of false informa-
ton widespread about the Constitu-
ton of 1851, under which we now
are operating" Goodrich told them.
I'm fact, it is not as good a Con-
stitution as the first one adopted
in Indiana in 1916.
Under the first Constitution,
judges were appointed and there
were but few elective state Offices.
Who would say that the courts OF
that day would not compare favor
ably with ours?
Restore Peoples Power
"a new Constitution would re-
store the power to the people by
leaving large liberties to the general
assembly.
'I am not afraid to trust the
people OF this day and generation.
If We are not fit to draft a new
Constitution, it IS a sorry Indictment
of our public school system.
Surely, we know our needs now
better than our forefathers could
expect to know them back in 1851.
At that time New Albany was the
largest town, with a population OF
5000. There were no cities, and
consequently no provision was made
for their government except the
general corporation clause.
This is a clause providing for
banking and other corporations"
DR.. James A. WOODBURY., professor
emeritus of Indiana university, was
POSTMASTER. He outlined the growth
Of Anglo Saxon liberties as embod-
led finally in the American Con-
stitution, and outlined the sort of
new Constitution which best would
embody these fundamental prin-
ciples.
Traces Liberty Growth
eConstitutions grew out of tradi-
tional liberties and we do not derive
our liberties from the Constitution"
DR.. WOODBURY. declared.
"a new Constitution should not be
long. It should be a concise state
ment of fundamental rights and
impose no great restraints on the
growth of government.
statutory matter should be left
out. The document should be made
flexible to meet the changing times
by easy power of amendment. With
this sort of Constitution, there is
no reason why it shouldn't last 1000
years"
Fear Of the word radical" was
secuted by Dr. WOODBURY., who as
serted all the fathers of America
were radical in the sense that they
went to the root of the problem to
solve it.
Washington Radical
George washington might have
been termed a radical" he con-
: tended, "since he overthrow three
governments in twenty years. They
were the British colonial govern
ment, the government of Virginia
and the state confederation re-
placed by the constitutional govern
ment of the United States"
President L. N. Hines of the In
diana State Teachers college; T. N.
Taylor, Terre Haute, president of
the Indiana State Federation of
Labor; President William H. Settle
of the farm bureau, and Ross F..
Lockeridge, Bloomington, were
others who spoke at the dinner.
All urged adoption of the consti-