Shall We Amend the Constitution So As to Permit the Legislature to Pledge the Credit of the State Without Popular Mandate?

Sep 21, 2026

Upload by Ezra

Reproductions are restricted and the record details technical microform parameters and bibliographic irregularities for an original document containing a political address. The speech by Representative Ogden L. Mills to the Young Men’s Republican Club of Auburn (Aug 5, 1925) analyzes a proposed constitutional amendment in New York allowing the legislature to borrow and spend $100,000,000 without a defined program or popular referendum, especially in the context of the so-called “pork barrel amendment.” The address argues the proposal is dangerously unsound and dispenses with required voter approval.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES PRESERVATION DIVISION BIBLIOGRAPHIC MICROFORM TARGET

BIBLIOGRAPHIC IRREGULARITIES

SPEECH OF Representative OGDen L. MILLS

Proposal to amend the constitution

97-84111-6Mills,Ogden Livingston Shall we amend theConstitution so as to... [S.I.] # COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIESPRESERVATION DIVISIONBIBLIOGRAPHIC MICROFORM TARGET ORIGINAL MATERIAL AS FILMED -EXISTING BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD RESTRICTIONS ON USE: Reproductions may not be made without permission from Columbia University Libraries TECHNICAL MICROFORM DATA FILM SIZE: 5mmREDUCTION RATIO: 9:/ IMAGE PLACEMENT:IA(IA) DATE FILMED: 6-5-97INITIALS: P TRACKING\#: FILMED BY PRESERVATION RESOURCES,BETHLEHEM,PA. # BIBLIOGRAPHIC IRREGULARITIES MAIN ENTRY:Mills,Ogden Livingston …… …………… ……………………………………………………………-……… -… Shall we amend the Constitution so as to permit thelegislature to pledge the credit of the state without… Bibliographic Irregularities in the Original Document: List all volumes and pages affected;include name of institution if filming borrowed text. Page(s)missing/not available:_ Volume(s)missing/not available: Ilegible and/or damaged page(s):_ Page(s)or volume(s)misnumbered:_ Bound out of sequence: Page(s)or volume(s)filmed from copy borrowed from:_ Other: before p.1 X Inserted material:_ Shall We Amend the ConstitutionSo As to Permit the Legislatureto Pledge the Credit of theState Without PopularMandate?2 (x176 SPEECH OF Representative OGDEN L.MILLS BEFORE THE YOUNG MEN'S REPUBLICAN CLUBOF AUBURN,N.Y. Qednesday,cAugust sth,I925 REPUBLICAN STATE COMMITTEE 9EAST 41sT STREET NEW YoRK CITY GEORGE K.MORRIS,CHAIRMAN September 21,1925 To Republican Organization Workers: The enclosed address by Representative Ogden L.Mills ofManhattan is an analysis of the proposal before the voters inNew York to amend the Constitution so as to permit the Legisle-ture to pledge the credit of_the State without popular mandate,through the so-called "Pork Barrel Amendment". The Congressman says in his address: "The question is,whether before borrowing the Legisla-ture is to be required to prepare a definite program and submitit tc the people for approval or,or whether they areto obtain a blank check in advance." We suggest to you and your fellow workers in the causeof a sound and economical financial policy a careful reading ofthe address by Mr.Mills,furnishing as it does perhaps the mostconvincing exposure of the fallacy contained in the.utterance ofGovernor Smith and others in support of the Constitutional Amend-ment authorizing an expenditure by the State of One hundred mil-lions of dollars Hon.Elihu Root,former Governor Nathan L.Miller,Lieutenant Governor Seymour Lowman end others are openly andoutspokenly against the amendment. The New York Herald Tribune editorially styles it "theblank check amenement"and declares its approval in Novemberwould "destroy for at least ten years any possible hope forretrenchment". We are confident that Mr.Mills'keen analysis of thisproposition will be profitable and enlightening. With best wishes, George K.Morris Chairman. Shall We Amend the ConstitutionSo As to Permit the Legislatureto Pledge the Credit of theState Without PopularMandate? SPEECH OFRepresentative OGDEN L.MILLSBEFORE THE YOUNG MEN'S REPUBLICAN CLUBOF AUBURN,N.Y.Qednesday,cAugust 5th,I925 丁a。f(977 A 98手 i)dud 025 THAVE chosen as my topic one which is neither lightnor entertaining,one in fact which is so weighty thatits very seriousness is the justification for its dis-cussion during the holiday season.I refer to the proposalto amend our constitution so as to permit the legislatureto borrow and spend $100,000,000 without preparing apr

FAQs

What constitutional change is being proposed in the speech?

The amendment would allow the legislature to borrow and spend for certain purposes without submitting a definite program to the people for approval at a general election.

Why does Ogden L. Mills oppose the amendment?

He argues the measure is dangerously unsound and that supporters have not provided an argument sufficient to disturb his conviction.

What does the proposed amendment remove compared with existing requirements?

It eliminates the necessity of a definite program and a popular referendum, giving the legislature greater freedom to borrow and spend within stated limits.

Sep 21, 2026

Upload by Ezra