Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-12-10
THE TELEGRAPH.
SOUTHPORT, TUESDAY. DECEMBER 10. 1914.
CONSTITUTION OF IOWA.

CONSTITUTION Or NV "A.
The constitution recently framed by the
Convention Of Iowa, appears 10 meet with
very general commentator from the public
press the wisdom with which the peoples
rights are guarded, and the system of plain
republican economy which il contempiaies,
command for il general favor. We notice
however, that one of our Territorial papers,
has made an attempt to disparage the Con-
siiiu,ion of Iowa, by asserting that I" the adj
mnistralion ofpubl.c affairs will fall into the
hands of The vcrricst quacks and bo;chcs,"
because it provides for lis public officers
such "beggarly salaries" We are told
that cheap schools, cheap HteratUr, cheap
doctors, and cheap governments" are the
greatest curses that can possibly befal a
peoplc.---So far as relates TO cheap schools,
literature, and doctors, this assertion may
hold good in qualified sense, but that
cheap government is TO be deprecated, is
rather strange theory, and the analogy
here attempted to be drawn, is still more
strange.
The policy of tempting men 10 hold Office
because of its enolumcnts, is certainly the
greatest possible curse that can befal re-
publican government. Every man of OBJ
seryation knows that the scramblings for Of
fee which are every where witnessed, are
not so much for the flee itself, as for the
pccuniary considerations which are attached
toi'. How ofien is it that hungry asprants
claim office as compensat on for political
services rendered Z? 1t is the emoluments
of flee, which has tendency TO throng
the highway to preferment with eager claim
ants, and which too frequenlly has tcnden
cy TO ihwart the deliberate will Of the peo-
pie. Nor does the evil of high salaries and
high per diem wages stop here ; it invara
bly, produces excessive leg station. In
proof Of this let the history of legislation in
the several states be adduced. In the states
where the Legislators are paid the lowest
rates Of compensation, the sess ons of the
legislature are uniformly the shortest. In
Vermont where members of the legislature
are paid less than any other state in the
Union. the business oflegisation is perform
ed in about three weeks in each year and
yet, was it ever made source of complain,
that Vermont has not Legislation enough
or that the per diem pay allowed the men,.
bes of The legislature does not command
tic reqls,,e talent Z? The Green Noun
tain state is not bur,hcnad with excessive
legslaiion-s!c has all the requisite laws
nccdful for the Interests of her population,
and is probably less annoyed by off eseek
CTS than most of the other states the sal
any of her Governor is but $50 per annum,
and the members of her lee; slatures receive
but one dollar per day.
The same nay be said of legislation in
all the other states, where low prices are al
lowed for pubic scrviccs-short sessions, no
useless legisla,ion, and less scramblng for
The loaves and fishes. Ga the other hand,
take for example those states where office
is more lavishly compensated. Why does
the legislature of the state of New York re-
aain in session from four to five months an
nually? 1t VIII perhaps be said that New
York is urge s,ate-hence more legsla-
ten is required than in small state. A
Urge state requires no more laws of gen
eral character than small one The only
difference is, more local legislation is me-
ccssaIily demanded in large state than in
a small state. 1t is notorious fact that the
business of legislation might be done annu-
ally in the state of New York, in a session
not exceeding two months and it is graf
flying TO observe tha! many of the democrat
ic papers in that state arc now pressing the
subject Of having the sesSit ms of the legis.
Iature limited to two months by law, or a
reduction the per diem pay of members
The people of the Empire State demand
this reform-'he pro:racted sessions Of the
legislature are productive of useless Legs
lalion than Otherwise, and no doubt exists
that the three dollars per day, which the
members are paid, chiefly influences the
long sessions in New York.
But it is no. only in the large state of
New York. where long sessions are proven
bal in all the states where the members
of the Legislature are paid as well as in New
York, the legislative sessions are from two
10 three times as long. as in other small
states, where the compensation is much
less. Yet who will pretend to say, that the
former are any better governed than the la.
ter, or enjoy more wholesome laws? 1t is
an undeniable truth, that long sessions, ex-
cessvc Legislation and egreg Gus office-see-
king, are the fruits of high salaries, and of
what is ordinarily termed ,ceH paid Offices
The constitution of Iowa in fixing The
salaries of nuhlic of1,carc 1oo- No, ,,.