Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1848-02-29
F'nl The Signal
The New Constitution.
sovereign

| "N' 'O"SIIhllIOus J nave uccH IDlOI uSu
thaI some Editors are OppOsed to il, he
cause they were candidates tor office in
tue constitutional convention. and were
disappointed. With them, the cOns,i,u-
ton Is wrong. How this is, cannot
say /; hut this | do know. that certain pa :
peers IN tins Stale, dill Immediately after
the election Oi officers by that convention,
and before even sign could he discover.
ed, as 10 the leading feature Of the con.
/ stItuIion publish vehement articles a.
gainsl the document to he presented, and
called ia question The purify OF object OF
many OF The democratic members OF that
body, and the members in general
AT this time, among lew, the consii-
tuli,n is auIi democratic in all Ut its lead
ing features. The pay Of members OF the
Legislature too low THE salary Of all of:
hcers entirely insufficient and in the
next paragraph, declare that the expense
OF government under thu new will far eX.
coed The Did constitution. This is strange
logic-il may please some. but most GER
family will fail with the people.
| have been led To believe that the
nearer elections can he brought TO The
people the Letter and the more democrat
&c. The Sasrs OF Democracy, in days
gone 6y. contended that the people were
as competent to choose their judges and
Oher officers, as agents chosen by them
Tor that purpose, were. For half cen
fury The democracy have commended that
the people a'e as able to choose Judge as
they are To- eject Governor. But this is
now repudiaed as being anti .demoGratic
! hy Il few. The cost OF governm under
the new cOnsiiution, is now a hobby
The people dislike taxation, il is ,rue-and
political juggIers are always astrde il.
Perhaps II may be we'll enough to look
over the expense, and see how the two
constitutions stand. First, the salary OF
the Governor, at present. is So 600 year.
ly-the new constitution gives 81 ,5n0.-
The Secretary ot States salary yearly is
>e0O-by the new il is $500. The Au,
ditors is $I,6OO-hy the new he gels
Sl,UOO. The 'rreasurer's salary is $500
by the new $500. The Attorney Gen
ernI gels at present yearly $5Oo. This
office is abolished by the new constitution,
a. it is considered mere wart on the
face Of The body polite. How does the
c"-I now stand, Mr.. sigma The cost OF
the present Judges Of tie Supreme and
I irruit Court is in the aggregate 3d.
50G-rhe cost ct Supreme and Circuit
C"nris Ivy The new Is. in the aggregate,
$l2 600. The Cnok Co. Couri is con.
rinued 10y the new and we viii balance
that expense.
The present number of Legislators is
| think 60 at s per day. or any sum
over that, which they may see fit to vote
themselves. The new constitution pro
poses 100 in buth houses. at pay not ex.
cerding So per day, and their sessinn
limited at that. How does the cost stand
now? But gracious. heavens. mercy, we
are told that there is whole batch OF
Clerks uf Circuit Courts To be elected, land
wi,haIl. three Supreme Clerks. making
1903, and the electing Of these clerks is
anti democratic in the extreme. Well
this is of the same piece with the ohiec.
lion of eleciing Judges. These Clerks
get their pay at present by fees from suit.
Ors and at This time we have lUl clerks
OF the Circuit aud Supreme Court aud |
| suppose it the new organization takes
place, they vii he still feed officers bur
| ] trust that their fees will he cut down
one quarter at least, as they will he wheth
er the new constitution goes INTO effect or
not. Here the expense is probably in
favor of the new. But The new constiiu.
ton hol Is oui the prospe:t of eleva.
ting The character and sanding of the
Probate Court. as well as the County
Commissioners Court. This is a griev.
Gus sin with some at present These
officers, 100 in number, are elected by the
pc nple. The ecti0n, IN The present mode,
at The Probate Justice of the Peace, is
pronounced by many as unconstitutional !;
so the new constitution puIs that question
nj rest, hereafter. under that document
a few words only in relation to this Pro.
bate Court. If there is court in the
state that the peop'e are truly interested
IN, it is this court-hy the hand of Provi.
dence, persons ale driven TO this court
the entire wealth of the people of this
state passes through this court once, ar
least in every twenty live. years. And
yet this court is of no Importance The
number of p ohaie Judges are not inereas
ed over the present number; neither is
their pay proposed to he different. and
how can we say that their pay will be
more under the new, than under the old
| trus, the Legislature will not give them
49,
near as much fees as they now ge..
The new constitution provides for a
conrt tn copduct county affairs--thai The
Probate Judge shall he Of that court-taat
said Judge, with such Justices ofthe Peace