Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 July 1917 — COURT DECLARES LAW TO BE VOID [ARTICLE]

COURT DECLARES LAW TO BE VOID

And No Constitutiosal Conn-' tioß Will Be Mi FURTHER REGISTERING STOPS And th< Women erf Indiana Will Xot (W to Vtrfe in vftaahtt a* They Had Expelled. The Indiana supreme- coart ■ Friday decided that the lav calling a constitutional convention for Indiana is unconstitutional and yosdLThis means that no co nsri t u if-uaal convention will be held. Judge Richard Erwin, chief iastice of the supreme court, wrote the opinion, and Judges Spencer. Harvey and Myers concurred. Judge Lairy reserved the light to express his views on the question in aa opinion m be filed later. The act was passed early in the last session of the lesrislatsre. Democrats and Republicans in both houses supporting it with sufficient strength to bring about its possage. As soon as. t; - ar v-re piV lisbed and placed in force Henry W. Bennett of IndianapolS* wlfiO was generally understood to represent other interests, filed salt. .In the Marion county superior coert. roora 1, attacking its validity. The suffrage- law, insofar as it ewncerned the election of delegates ta the proposed constitutional coaT'ention, also was attacked. Judge W. W- Thornton. before whom the case was argued, held the convention law valid. Tie suffrage law was at the same tin# held invalid in so far as it applied, to the constitutional convention law. Appeals were taken immediately to the supreme court and under the necessity existing because of extensive preparations l<e:ng mads to elect delegates to the proposed convention, the ruling-from th** higher body came quickly. Attorneys who were : **u.' • ~ the law in the argument in suprenwe court this, week advanced toe opinion that the legislature had no power to call a constitutiosal convention and that this power rested only with the people. They sail the legislature had only the right to submit to a vote of the peogle the question of whether the people wished to hold a convention. The local registration board received a telegram from state headquarters Friday evening instructing the former to permit ®o mere persons to register in this- cwnaty.