Article January 15, 1903 Issue

Highly Complimented

The Concord (N. H.) Monitor

The work of our constitutional convention, recently adjourned, has been quite generally commended by the press at home and abroad. Words of the highest praise, but sanely considered and expressed, are uttered by The Congregationalist of Boston, the influential organ of a powerful religious denomination, which says editorially:—

"Celerity, common sense, courage have characterized the constitutional convention of New Hampshire in session the past two weeks. Contrasted with the recent Connecticut constitutional convention, its despatch, vigor of attack, and positive results give the more creditable record to the Granite rather than to the Nutmeg state. As the result of the covention's labors the people on the second Tuesday of March next year will vote on ten proposed alterations in or amendments to the present constitution. Some of these suggested emendations or additions are relatively unimportant. Others are of grave importance. Of the latter are the requirement that voters and officials shall be able to read the constitution in English and to write; that power to impose taxes on franchises and property passing by will and inheritance be given to the legislature; that the franchise be extended to women; and that the legislature be given authority 'to enact laws to prevent the operations within the state of all persons and associations, trust and corporations, that endeavor to raise the price of any article of commerce or to destroy free and fair competition in the trades and industries through combination, conspiracy, monopoly, or any other unfair means.' Summoned especially to deal with the problem of representation in the lower house of the legislature, the convention found a way out, which, while it preserves to the smallest unit a method of representation, also recognizes the equity of providing proportionate representation for the large towns and cities. Eight hundred inhabitants are necessary to the election of one representative; twenty-four hundred inhabitants are necessary for two representatives, and sixteen hundred for each additional representative.

"That the world has moved on and the temper of religious folk altered is seen in the call for a referendum by the people on the suggestion that the words 'evangelical' and 'Protestant' and 'every denomination of Christians' are to be stricken from the constitution where they limit the religious societies which the state is to foster and protect. 'Christian principles' and not 'evangelical principles' hereafter are to be conserved. Teaching of piety, religion, and morality' are not to be limited to Protestant definitions of the same, and 'all religious sects and denominations,' rather than 'every denomination of Christians,' are assured equal protection of the law. The debate on the provision of the constitution intended to curb monopoly was on a high plane, reflecting the unity and depth of sentiment of the representatives of the people; and the speech of Judge Aldrich of the Federal Circuit Court, in which he advocated such action, may well be taken as a perfect expression of the sober sentiment of New England democracy as it faces the perils of the hour as the century opens out. Coming from so conservative a source and so judicial a mind, the utterance was all the more significant."

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