Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-02-25
ckets Of the laborer to enrich speeulating

pockets OF the laDoTer TO enrich speculalng
drones.
With the experience we have, then, in
local and partial legislation, the vast a.
mount of time and consequent expense of q
State Legislature, framing laws for partial
and local objects, about which little or no.
thing is known at the distant seat of tie
State government, but which would be well r
understood at the county seat say, with
the experience we now have in such legisla.
tion, we would be very foolish, in framing
a new Constitution, To entrnst .sall such To !.
our State I-egisla ture. Therefore, we should
ID alssi aksfe is IiSiIs
doubt but il viii be fs5ssfd practicable 10 in-s
duce a Convention tomake some provision Z
in Constitution TO bring local and partial
legislation nearer the people-yes, into the
direct immediate keeping of the voters. A Z
legislative committee of one from each town
ship, convened at the county seat, would be
well qualified to frame bills for all local
laws that might be deemed necessary, and
the voters Of The eounty would be most
competent TO sanction or reject, as due re-
gard to justice and their own interests should
dictate. l said, 1T would be found practi-
cable to make the change suggested, for it
only requires the people to will it, ard they.
can easy do it. So unlike the powers pcs.
sessed by the people in most parts of the
world beside, are the powers possessed by
the people Of this country. make this re-
mark because it has been said TO be imprac-
ticable, as was said but a lew years ago a
! the land reform measures-the Homestead
exemption and the fetdom of the Public
lands to actual settlers, which have now
Congress and State Legislatures seem to
vie with each other in urging forward those
measures, soon destined, trust, TO be GEN.
orally adopted, to take the place of both
white and black slavery, as the peculiar
institutions" CT free America. g5, -
But dig,ess. | said true democratic leg-l
islation was practicabl Let the real denl-
ocrats, al whJ a,e for true progress in any
county, the friends of Individual rights,
aga nst cnrpo! ale nonopolies = let a ! such
say unite, AID, move with energy, FIRST TO
bring local legislation home to the people as
before suggested; and with the experience
we have oi the evils OF local aud special leg
islati,n in our own State, and in other States,
we can 10 doubt intlueuce the convention 10
make provision to submit such local mat
ters to the voters, with provisions to prevent
imposition or fraud ON the people and wien
once begun, the principles OF true democracy
once tried, and the legislature au hoIized
to extend the powers aad privileges of tie,
voters, the wedge OF reform is entered, and
we will not fail TO claim and obtain farther
lpowers and privileges for the people, until
true democracy viii triumph over all tho
musty conservatism that has so long he'd
back the onward progress cf correct .priLci-
J, pies Of democracy. fhe first step should
! be 10 increase our board Of County Coni-
missioners to one from each township Of
each county, and let all applications for
special powers and corporate privileges in
the county be submitted to that board for
their preliminary action, and to be finally
decided by the voters Of the county. Such
proposition would 10 doubt he popular
with an intelligent Convention, and would
be sanctioned by the people, as it would save
vast expense that is now wasted in local
and special legislation by legislatures, scarce
ly member Of which know anything of
many cf the applicants for special privileg-
es, or of the objects soughtto be obtained.
The justice and policy of the measures 1
propose, are to me SO obvious that almost
fancy l hear the intelligent voters saying,
one and ALL it is right and we will make it
practicable. .l-'' - sue .-'''-
RADICAL, DEMOCRAT