Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-05-21

CsTv o. DAVENPORT.
THrRSDAY NORM W, nay 81. 1851.
11w OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Article VIII Of the proposed Con
stitution Of the State, contains the fol-
lowing remarkable Section.
"Sec. s. No ACT Of the General As
sembly, authorizing or creating corpo-
nations or associations with banking
powen, nor amendments thereto, shall
take effect, or in any manner lie in
force, until The same shall hare ben
. 'M'tsed SCI a, ahiy, TO the people at a
general or special election, as provided
By law, to be held not less than three
months after the passage of the Act,
and shall have been approved by a
majority Of oil the eIec tors voting + :
and Against it at such election"
Ranker nonsense was never before
embodied in an instrument called /,
Constitution. This provision virtual,
makes the people the legislative assem-
bly,, and provides that no act or az
s~endmenf Of an act upon the subject
Of banking shall be a Law until thu
people have voted upon it. We ca,
e no good eason for such wide de
parture from the system Of are presents
tive republican government. We see N
substantial Argument, either in the his.
tory o our experience since l775 OF il
reason and logic, for 10 far emascuI. :
ting the representation system a. L
create a Legislature, and all the exPen-
sive gearing incident to the LcgisIAti"
machinery, for the soH purpose q
froming iaws 10 be submit d 10 III,
people. 1t converts the State into Al
Athenian Democracy, we're all law
we're TO be directly passed upon by tn,
people, before they became valid M'
obligatory. 1t smxcks TO much Of that
rank mobocracy which in the elections
Of ancient Democracics, overthrow til.
national liberties. A representative,
assembly. chosen at stated periods, l.
pas laws fo' the general welfare, ha,
hitherto been found the surcst safe
guard against the rage and anarchy o.
contentious popular assemblies fire.
qucn,ly convened, and on the other /;
protection against TASTY and crud,
legislation. This article Of the new
Constitution totally annihilates til,
power Of the Legislature, and turns il
into q Committee to present acts and
amendments 10 the people. for then
adoption or rejection. We look npoi
the whole scheme rs the o,nmcnc
mcnt Of that ~looscrcss that a evcntu
ate in nothing but anarchy and dis
order. Every Session OF the Genera
Assembly laws or amendments To laws
upon the subject of Banking may be
passed, and three months thereafter III,
people will b. called to the polls L
sanction or reject them. Thus it ma,
b. for years. before any law will he pas
sed BY the Legislature that a moor,fs
Of those uko m,H rote on such occ ,sions
will sanction. That is popular sove,
eighty, with a vengeance. Ii is setting
up an automaton, STYLED q Genera
Assembly. which in fact has none o
the essential powers of a legislati,.
body. The wisdom Of the men com
posing the late Constitutional Conven-
ton must have been considerably les
than that Of King Solomon. This
method of referring acts to the peopl,
10 Of recent origin. 1t originated viii,
miserable demagogucs, who desired 10
create the impression, for selfish pur-
poses, that they were jealous Of til,
peoples rights. 1t wa begotten in the
rankest rottenness Of political purpos,
and is produ tive only Of mischief.
leads the people to disregard all laws
not directly sanctioned by the popular
vote, and converts the state into a va>,
Legislative assembly, with all the pas
sion, ignorance, and fanaticism that IL
aroused BY the rawlings Of demsgogues
1t hes never been productive Of ough,
but mischief and should be total,
abandoned.