CHAPTER  X

FAILURE OF THE CONVENTION'S WORK OTHER THAN ITS JUDICIARY

ARTICLE----CAUSES   OF   FAILURE,   POLITICAL   PASSIONS   OF   THE

TIME----GOVERNOR   FENTOn's   MESSAGE   URGES   THE   NECESSITY

OF REFORMS IN CONSTITUTION, ESPECIALLY IN JUDICIARY
ARTICLE----REPORTS OF COMMITTEE ON SUFFRAGE----NEGRO SUF¬
FRAGE----SEPARATE      SUBMISSION      OF      QUESTION      WHETHER

PROPERTY QUALIFICATIONS FOR COLORED VOTERS SHOULD BE
RETAINED OR ABANDONED----VOTE UPON THE SUBJECT----WO¬
MAN'S  SUFFRAGE AND  SPEECH  OF  GEORGE  WILLIAM   CURTIS----

MINORITY REPRESENTATION----REACTION FROM DECENTRALIZ¬
ING SPIRIT OF 1846----CONVENTION FAVORS LARGER SENA¬
TORIAL DISTRICTS----COUNTY REPRESENTATION IN THE ASSEM¬
BLY----DEBATE UPON THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON STATE

AFFAIRS----ARGUMENTS   FOR   ESTABLISHMENT   OF   CABINET   OF

STATE OFFICERS AND THE NOMINATION OF SUCH OFFICERS
BY   THE   GOVERNOR—GOVERNOR'S   POWERS   OVER   BILLS   AFTER

CLOSE  OF  SESSION----EXTENSION   OF  VETO  POWER—MUNICIPAL

GOVERNMENT----CONVENTION'S     REPORT     DRAFTED     BY     JUDGE

FOLGER----ADJOURNMENT OF THE SESSIONS OF THE CONVEN¬
TION,   AND   EFFECT----VOTE   UPON   CONVENTION'S   WORK.

The convention of 1867 suffered the singular fate of hav¬
ing all of its work except its judiciary article rejected by the
people. All the propositions of the conventions of 1821, 1846 and,
as we shall see hereafter, 1894, were ratified at the polls. Inas¬
much as the personnel of the convention of 1867 was of a very
high order, explanation must be found to account for this
defeat. Some of its suggestions were favorably reported by the
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