Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1845-05-29

l, has been suggested TO US that if a
Fool Killer were to pass through Iowa
City about this time, our Legislators
would stand a poor chance. They
would be slain-most Of them. Their
Legislation thus far has gained for them
the unenviable appella.ion of the Soft
Heads" No one act has exhibited them
to be so soft headed as the one in which
they claim to sit out, not only the pre-.
sent but the next session of the Legis-
laiure. They claim 10 have been elect
ed far one whole year and tina, the peo-
pie have not the power TO shorten that
time. They have already made ar
raneemenis TO do away with the August
election, and the next move we shall
expect those to make whose certificates
declare them TO have been elected "for
one year or until their successors are
chosen" is 10 oppose every effort to
provide for another election and adjourn
without making any provision of the
kind. In this way they can prevent
the election of their successors and hold
over as long as they please. What a
pity all the certificates did not contain
the clause italicised above. Then the
present legislature could have me, from
time 10 time, year in and year out. for
life, and saved the people from troubling
themselves about elections. This GER
,ainly is the principle on which they
are now acting. Their public acts. re.
ports and resolutions proclaim it,
They defy the people. They think
they have go. their constituents in
tight place, and they intend to take ad-
vantage Of and make the most of it,
They solemnly propose-and we are
sorry that the only ca,s.paws used in
making the proposition hail from Old
Des Moines-to outwit the people and
hold over through the winter session.
10 dispense with our usual election in
August-and claim their membership
up to neKs April.
They know that this was not the in
tention of those who elected them
They know that it was generally IN.
dersiood that the session for which thew
were elected would necessarily be
shora one. They were aware of the
reasons that created this necessity; and
they might have known that we pro-
claimed publicly before the election that
that ii was of very little consequence
who were elected, because The funds
were short and their time would have
To be graduated accordingly. All this
they knew or might have known. But
in the face Of all this they insist that
they were elected until next April
We are mistaken if the people will ,ol.
crate such barefaced effrontery-sach
political theft. No, Messrs Legisla-
tors. The people will not tolerate it,
We dare you to hold over as you pro.
pose. You dare not. You must re.
sign. They will bid you 10 do this.
They will compel you 10 do il, Think
not TO make virtue ofnecessity in this
matter, and throw up your commits
sons with the hope of again being re.
ceived into favor 1t is too late to do
that. You have already gravely legis-
lated on the subject and shown your
disposition to grasp undelegated power
if you dare. You have set yourselves
above the peoples intentions. You
have insalted them; and now if YOU
resign with seeming cheerfulness, think
not that your resignation will be vie wed
as magnanimous act which will en,-
tie you 10 future favor. No. The
political hypocrisy will be detected, and
yon will wish you had never meddled
with the matter.