Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/161

 The Prohibition State Convention was called to assemble at Des Moines on the 7th of February, 1883, to confer upon the nullification of the constitutional amendment by the Supreme Court and decide upon what action it was advisable to take in the premises. James Wilson of Tama County was chosen president and J. R. Sage of Linn County secretary. The committee on business reported in favor of the union of the different temperance organizations of the State for the purpose of making their work more effective. A committee was appointed to present to the Governor a petition for an extra session of the Legislature to be called for the purpose of taking the steps necessary to again submit to the people an amendment to the Constitution for prohibition. Among the resolutions adopted by the convention the following were the most important:

Resolved, That it is the deliberate judgment of this convention that the Executive and General Assembly should immediately take steps to put in force and effect the will of the people as expressed by the vote of the 27th of June last, by providing an extra session called at as early a date as can legally be done; first, for submission of a prohibitory amendment to the Constitution of Iowa; second, for such other relief by statutory law as will relieve the people and the homes of the State from the curse of the liquor traffic.

Resolved, That as a law must be enacted and enforced by State officials who are elected by the people and who ought to be their representatives, we pledge our support at the polls only to such as are unreservedly pledged to carry out in good faith the expressed will of the people on the subject of legal prohibition.

After mature consideration Governor Sherman declined to call an extra session of the Legislature for the purpose of inaugurating proceedings for a constitutional amendment. The principal reason given by the Governor for this decision was that he had serious doubts as to whether it was competent for an extra session to propose such amendments to the Constitution. At the April term of the Supreme Court an attempt was made to secure a reversal of the decision on a petition for a