Excerpt from The Revision of the State Constitution, Vol. 1: A Collection of Papers, Addresses and Discussions Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Political Science in the City of New York, November 19 and 20, 1914
There is an interesting parallel between the present constitutional convention and the one that preceded it. The last one ought to have occurred in 1887, twenty years after the convention of 1867. It did not please the party which happened to be in power in 1887 and for a number of years afterward to have the convention, because they could not get the arrangements just to suit them. At last, in 1892, everything was right and the convention was brought on; delegates were elected in 1893, and a convention was held in 1894. But, lo, after everything was right and the convention was determined upon, there came a revolution in the politics of the state, and the other party elected a majority of delegates and controlled the convention.
At this time it seemed to some one - I don"t know to whom - that it would be a bright stroke of politics to advance the convention, and so a special election was held, and the convention was brought on by a narrow majority, composed in part, we already know through judicial decisions, of fraudulent votes. But lo, after the convention was thus determined upon a revolution occurred and the other party controls the convention.
And the lesson is that it docs not pay to be too acute and adroit and cunning in American politics. The best way is to go on in a simple, direct, honest, faithful effort to help the working of our free self-government. Whoever docs that will go ahead of the very smart politicians every time.
I wish to mention another parallel, or contrast, between the two conventions which I think is cause for great satisfaction.
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