Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 239, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 October 1914 — A NEW CONSTIPATION FOR INDIAMA [ARTICLE]

A NEW CONSTIPATION FOR INDIAMA

Thte Arete toaue to Be Bsterjrihwd toy th® Voter® at the NeveariNr V Eiectioa. 1 IZ . - The voters at InftaM will be called «p®u at th® election <rf November tod to paw upon the qptettan of calling a oonv«ption to rtefoe the present ateta constitution. Th® most vital question that ohnfronta the state to-day is this Question of a new constitution. To vote Urteiiisently oi It will retain a careful study of the situation in Indiana on the part of the voters. * la important that they should have fan information a* to the conditions tabooed on the people by the present eonstitotixm and of the opportunities afforded hy constitutional revision to better the situation. The Question will be put up to the voters by independent ballot on plain white paper 4 tnohes square containing «he words, "ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION IN THE YEAR 1115?" In order to -carry the proposition, a majority of all voters of the state voting at this election must vote "YE9.” The normal vote in Indiana for candidates is about 700,0(10. Of this number at least 350,001 must vote "YES” to carry the question, regardless of the number of "NO” votes. In effect, those who do not ' vote at all on the proposition are counted against the convention. The ignorant and indifferent voter thus constitutes a tremendous handicap on the movement to seoure constitutional revision. It is not, therefore, too much to ask that every voter seek to prepare himself to vote on the question and with full understanding of his act. The legislative act also provides in detail for the next three steps toward revision in the event that the vote of November 3rd carries. A special election will be held on the first i Tuesday after the first Monday in J March, 1915, for the election of delegates to the convention. These will be 150 in number, apportioned throughout the state in the same manner as members of the General Assembly now are apportioned. Any qualified voter may be a candidate for delegate from his district by filing a petition signed hy 100 voters of the district No political party shall be permitted to nominate candidates. The election shall be nonpartisan in , every particular. ’■ The purpose of the act is plainly ■to secure a delegate convention i which will be fairly representative of all the people of the state and to remove the necessity of serving parti- “ san Interests. It is to be fundamentally a people’s convention. | The delegates elected shall meet tn Indianapolis on the first Monday to May, 1915, and ! "shall constitute a Convention . for the purpose of making such amendments, alterations and changes in the present Constitution of the State of Indiana or the making of an entirely neyr Constitution for the State of In- 2 ”' dlana as such Convention may deem proper and which new Constitution shall be submitted to the vote of the people of the i State of Indiana to be by them • ratified or rejected . . . said Convention may submit one or '! more amendments or one or more < sections of the proposed Constitution, as distinct propositions, ! to be voted upon by the people g separately or together, as to the p Convention seems expedient.” The members of the convention ( shall receive a per diem of ten dollars per day and mileage, and shall not remain in session longer than one hundred and eighty (180) days, Sundays excepted. It is to be noted that this move- | ment for a new constitution is not in any way connected with the proposed new constitution of 1911—the so-called "Marshall Constitution"— which was written by the Legislature of that year. This "Marshall Constitution”, which was a copy of the present constitution, with 23 Articles amended, was never submitted to the people for adoption or rejection, for the reason that its presentation by the Legislature was declared unconstitutional on the ground that the Legislature was without authority. • The important fact of the present movement for a new constitution is that it confides wholly In the people. It comes from no partisan source. It is directed at no party or faction. Its advocates are appealing to no prejudices nor to any special interests. They are using only educational means. It offers a rare opportunity for the people of Indiana to acquaint themselves with the big fundamental facts of their state government, and to make their Influence felt in shaping and directing its future funotions.