THE CENTRE REPORTER, CENTRE HALL, PA.
(Political Advertisement)
DANGER AHEAD!
In the Primary that will be held throughout Pennsylvania on Tuesday, September 17th, the most costly Administration in the his-
tory of this Commaenwealth, for its own partisan, political advantage, will ask the people of this State to abandon their present
Constitution in favor of one which would radically change the form of government in Pennsylvania,
The issue will be put squarely up to every voter in the form of a question upon a special ballot. You will be asked to vote YES
or NO to a Constitutional Convention. Reduced to its simplest terms, the question is whether—
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(1) We shall retain our present Constitution, which for more than 60 years has
kept this State out of debt and assured the peovle of Pennsylvania the widest
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latitude of self-government, with the largest degree of home rule—the American
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System; or
(2) We shall substitute the kind of a Constitution demanded by this Administra-
tion, which would divest the people of Pennsylvania of many important rights
now reserved to them, and perpetuate the present Administration in office, with
unlimited authority to borrow upon the public credit, raise taxes, destroy home
rule, and concentrate all powers in the Governor and a single-branch Legisla- on
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ture under his control. oe 3
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The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, the State Grange, the State Chamber of Commerce, numerous patriotic and fraternal organiza.
tions, and many thousands of individuals, are opposing the proposed Convention and new Constitution. for the following among
many reasons:
1. The announced purpose is to bring the Constitution of Pennsyl- 6. A Governor, stumping the State as the chief exponent of a new
vania into line with the New Deal. whose costly experiments have Constitution, whose outstanding features would be the right of
piled up an unprecedented public debi, retarded recovery and are the Governor to succeed himself, and the removal of all limit on
borrowing power, tells the story of this proposed revision. The
assertion that the present Constitutional limit on borrowing re-
quires a new Constitution is utterly without basis, first. because
the Supreme Court has ruled that millions may be borrowed for
any emergency upon a note issue against anticipated revenue,
once the Legislature has provided for that revenue: second. be-
78 millions from the Governor's program for 203 millions of cause there is no provision in the present Constitution which can-
new taxes) and create a single legislative body subservient to the Hol be Shauged by an amendment approved by the people of
ennsylvania.
in conflict with the Constitution of the United States and the
American form of government.
. To further centralize all power and authority in Harrisburg, it is
proposed to abolish the State Senate (which slashed more than
Executive.
. Our Constitution is the basis of our whole social. political and
economic structure, and every dictate of wisdom warns against
Rule, as now carried out through local governments, adminis completely rewriting it in any period of economic unrest and po-
tered by loeal officers, responsible only to the people, largely litical instability such as exists at the present time. And espe-
would disappear from Pennsylvania. cially is that true when the chief adv ocates of this revision would
provide for waste and extravagance without limit, at a time when
The Legislature would have power to abolish the Grand Jury, al- every need cries out for reducing the costs of government and
Under the plan for comsolidating local political units, Home
low eriminal indictments merely upon information. and provide keeping new taxes to a minimum.
for convictions upon less than a unanimous verdict by a jury. . While proponents of a new Constitution have baited their hook
with “Social Security,” exactly the same results ean be obtained
The Logislzture would have power io bring any branch of busi. by an amendment of the existing Constitution: but we believe
ness or industry under complete State regulation; to go into the that the kind of social security every self-respecting Pennsyl-
vanian wants is that which is to be had from industrial recovery
resulting from the removal of governmental interference with
business, thus providing good jobs at good wages, and the ability
and supervise local relief and charitable agencies; and to set up of each to provide for self and family, free of Federal, State or
unemployment relief as a permanent dole in Pennsylvania. local charity.
housing business; to charter and subsidize corporations to com-
pete with private enterprise in housing projects; to consolidate
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This dangerous proposal is being advocated by the self-interested. f ree-spending, tax-raising Administration at Harrisburg as a §
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means oi continuing itself in office, with free access to the public eredit.
The Day to Defeat it is Tuesday, September 17h Shall a constitutional convention be called in
THE WAY TO DEFEAT IT IS TO VOTE ON YOUR Comtine in Act No, S13 of the on those Yes
SPECIAL BALLOT AS INDICATED OPPOSITE [Jf | [omiiumre ta prepore sue io romero | No X
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stitution of this Commonwealth?
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Executive Committee & t :
ROLAND N. BENJAMIN, Harrisburg, Pa. MRS. GEORGE HORACE LORIMER, Wyncote, Pa. ©
MRS. ELLA B. BLACK, Beaverdale, Pa. GEORGE W. McCANDLESS, Pittsburgh, Pa. J vo
MRS. BESSIE DOBSON ALTEMUS EASTMAN, Philadelphia, Pa. THOMAS A. McGINLEY, Pittsburgh, Pa. §
REV. WILLIAM B. FORNEY, Philadelphia, Pa. ERNEST J. POOLE, Reading, Pa. 7 i
JOHN H. LIGHT, Lebanon, Pa. MRS. C. A. VERNER, Pittsburgh, Pa. ° # |
| IRA JEWELL WILLIAMS, Esq., Philadelphia