The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-04-17
Convention to Revise our s,n,eCou.,i,u,ion

convention 10 bscVisC our StntcNoussttuuob'
There is an apathy on this subject that should
not prevail. There is little over three months
before the people will be called upon to vote on
the question whether there shall be u convention
called to revise our state constitution, AMI it is by
far the most important question upon which the
people will have to pass at the next election. 1t
is their duty then to examine the subj CT, that
they may vote n,ellisen,ly. Tha, our conslu-
ton is defective in many particulars, lie no, con-
trovercd. Ii was framed hastily, la our infancy,
before we had experience as state, and as we
have gone on increasing in years and strength,
we have found our growth and prosperity clog
sed sy many parts in our state machinery which
experience has proved useless and cumbersome,
and VIC have found deficiencies in other depart
mcnts which we could now supply.
f3u, the subject involves another question.
ARE the defects in our constitution so importsn,
.shat we would be justified in ineu'ring tho ex-
pense Of convention TO revise II! What that
expenditure will 30 we cannot Of course now
know to a certainty. II is safe TO say, however,,
that il will not be less than the cost Of a session
Of our state legislature, which generally averages
about SIS, 900. Our ,aIcs are high and we are
greatly in debt: as state we have no. shilling
10 spare; and until we are relieved from our pre-.
sent pecunary embarrassmcn,s and can do jus
tice TO our creditors, our highest duty is econo-
my. Can VIC then, consistently with this high
I. =. 4.
fhe decision Of this question depends upon
anothcs. What do We Propose to accomplish by
revising the constitution Can We SO simplify
and remodje our complex political machinery
that the expense of carrying it on hereafter will
lie less than it has been heretofore II we can,
the question is decided; for il we can by revising
our constitution carry on our slate government
for $40 900 year instead Of $50, 900, the pre-
sent cost, then we gain enough in seven and
half years to delray the expenses Of sconven,on,
and have gain of $4,000 year alter that US
clear profit.
This gain we believe can be accomplished.
We DO no, propose, al present, to 50 into all er-
tended examination Of our governmental system
and point out how dollar can be saved here,
aud two there, and few more at another place.
We will look at but one or two items Of our
state expenditure, which for our presen. purpose
will be sufficient.
The frs, and heavies, item is the expenses Of
tie legislature. Can these be reduced Without
having bestowed much reflection upon the sub
jcci several WAYS presen. themselves in which i,
appears to US this ohjec, can be accomplished.
And the first is, by diminishing the amount Of
public printing. This item for the session Of
1912, according 10 tho report Of the auditor
hid before the last legislature, amounted to abou,
$4,000. A reduction Of three or four thousand
annually would be an important saving, and We
believe il can be accomplished. One mode
would be to le, the work out to the lowest bidder
We kno,p that several thousand dollars could
have been saved to tho stale at the las, session Of
the legislature il bu, one job had been thus given
out. Nearly every other job Of public work il
given out this way, ard there 10 no reason why
different course should be pursued in reference
AZ to pruning j uci " 10 tuc CubtDIn " pIul
all the public documents ina, are laid before tn,
senate and house, in the journals Of both houses
This Is useless The object Of printing ,hes
documents in the journals is 10 have them dis.ri
butcd through the d'iiercn, counties for purpose
Of future reference and examina,ioh. The jour
malls Of both houses ute distributed together, an,
Deposited in tho sane place. A copy in on
Journal would tbcefore answer al the purpos
Of hsying them printed in both.
Next, the length Of the sessions Of our lesi.Ia
tnrcs nigh, DO diminishej, by taking away iron
them the election Of the judges, prosecuting al
torneys, sni other state officers, and by giviu
The people more directly the power to leuisa'c :"
81, purely local subjscis. Two.'hirdsof The Tim
Of our legislature 10 conssmsi on baAnefs 'h'
cs.M b much better dcus ~ ous courts, I
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