Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1844-12-28
From our Jefferson City Correspondent.
DECEMBER 18th, 1914.

Messrs. BENSON & GREEN:-Y yesterday
the proposed Constitutional Amendments
were rejected in the House of Representa-
tives, by vote of 40 against and So for
them: it requiring majority of two-thirds
to pass them. The ultimate vote upon
these amendments was very nearly party
vote. Notwithstanding the rejection Of
these amendments was recommended by
the message of Governor Marmaduke, and
the people of the State pretty generally
satisfied that they were only proposed at
the last session to be adopted in the event
that the proposition to hold a convention
to amend the constitution should not be ap-
proved by a majority of the people, yet so
great was the desire on the part of the de.
mocracy here, that some half dozen starue-
ling lawyers, wholly unknown to profess
sional distinction, should be rewarded with
Judgeships, that not one democrat voted to
reject them.
Ii was urged by the democracy, as a rea.
son why the members from the counties
composing Judge Leand's circuit should
vote for the amendments, that he would be
displaced, in the event they passed; but it
seems they acted upon the principle that it
is better to tolerate small evil than to
PROSTATE the whole judiciary Of the State
at the feet of an executive who would
wreak his vengeance upon all those who
chose to vote that the Old Horse was better
qualified TO be Governor than he.
There has been nothing of moment do
ing in either House since last wrote you
The debate on the Texas resolutions has
not yet been concluded Gen. Finch from
Dade county has the floor for this morning
Two representatives, only, of the demo-
cratic party, have had the boldness to dis
approve, in debate, the course of Mr.. Ben
ton on that subject: Mr.. Hughes of Platte,
and Mr.. Speaker Of your county. There
is not much doubt entertained now that
after the debate shall have subsidized, there
will be motions TO amend the resolutions.
The attitude of the democratic party
here, before the sovereign people of the
State of Missouri is anything else than
an enviable one. The people, through
their representatives, at the last session of
the general assembly, passed law for the
call of convention to amend the consttu.
ton. That fact being submitted to the
whole people Of the State at the last gen.
eral election for their acquiesence or dis
approval, they approved the call by ma
jority Of near twenty-five thousand votes.
And yet, protesting to be democratic, and a
great respect for the expressed will of the
majority of the people, by previous concert,
there are simultaneous moves made, in
each house of the general assembly to re-
peal the law calling the convention. And
at the same time we discover their moving
to defeat the will of the majority, in de-
feating the call of the convention, they
also vote to amend the State Constitution,
so as to subject one of the cardinal and in
dependent departments of our government,
10 the mercy, and bring it directly under
the control, of another. In other words,
at periods of six and ten years, the Circuit
and Supreme Judges of all the Courts, are
at the mercy of the Governor THAT all
political power is vested in, and derived
from, the people," is one of the cardinal
principles of our government. And is il
Republican? Is it consistent in the repre-.
sentatlves OF the people to attempt, by in.
direction, to take from one of our three
distinct and separate magistrates to which
is confded the judicial powers, all that in.
dependence necessary to the exercise of
those powers! And why give to The Exec
utlve more power than the trainers of the
constitution thought it advisable to clothe
him with! While aristocrats, assuming to
be modern democrats, vote to take the in
dependence of the Judges, given them by
the people, and throw it at the feet of the
Governor, the friends of free government,
the republicans of this day. say to the peo-
pie, if this power be not permitted to re.
main where you confded it, take it back
into your own hands, the original place of
deposit, and bestow it by your own suffra.
ges at the ballot box. X.
DECEMBER %.
You will have seen by the papers before
this reaches you that the debate in the
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