Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-07-18

new Constitution lean the other way, and
we warrant that the Erpress d: Herald
would shrek twice as loudly against its
provisions, which it would be swift to
claim were invented by aristocratic and
grasping Republicans, to swindle honest
men out of their land, for the benefit of
soulless corporations. Who doubts it?
Objection 13, is that, under the new
Constitution, the General Assembly may
g fix the compensation of its own mem
bers." All stuff! No particular Gen.
eral Assembly can " fix the compensation
of its own members" in the sense inten-
ded by the Express d Herald. One
General Assembly may fix the compen
sation ola succeeding General Assembly.
The particular General Assembly can
only take what has been previously per-
mitted to them by law. Now, let our
friend of the Express d Herald turn to
the Federal Constitution (which, we be-
lieve, he esteems to be a document of
some merit), and he will there find that
any Congress may fix the compensation
of its own members. So our New Iowa
Constitution turns out at last to be an
improvement upon the Federal Constitu-
ton, in the matter concerning which our
neighbor is exercised.
Objection a is that the New Constitu-
ton "creates unnecessary Offices" If
this is SO, why does not our neighbor
show the fact? His naked assertion is
no proof We deny the charge, and un-
til it is backed up by evidence, we shall
give it no attention, beyond saying that
we are prepared to show, if necessary,
that In this instance, as in numerous 9TH
ers, the editor of the Erpress Dc Herald
has undertaken to dogmatize upon SUBJ
ject without thinking it down.
Objection S is that, the New Consti-
tuition authorizes the General Assembly
to create State debt of double the
amount allowed by the present Constitu
ton, without submitting it to the people"
TO this we answer, that when the present
Constitution was formed, Iowa contained
less than loo, 900 people, and her resour-
ces We're small in proportion. To-day
she numbers little less than three -fourths
of million, and her resources have de-
veloped ten-fold. What impropriety,
then, in permitting the Legislative au-
thority of this great State to exercise all
enlarged discretion in incurring indebted
ness for the public welfare or defence
Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars
is narrower limit as things are now,
than one hundred thousand dollars was
when the present Constitution was formed
We can see no real point in the objection,
and regard it as having been introduced
solely for clap trap effect.
Objections l6 and II are substantially
the same, 1t is objected lst. that lhe
.. os.ebii1lrnrvnt ~f p~..La'' !, permitted
Cd, that the General Assembly is author
ised to provide for General System of
Banking and State Bank and Branches,
"thus enacting over again the banking
farce and frauds of Indiana" The editor
of the Express d. Herald is Bank -hater.
He does not believe in banks of any sort.
Therefore it is useless to attempt to con-
vince him that the provisions of the new
Constitution upon that subject are
safe and proper provisions. The people
of the State have determined that they
desire Banking system, and it is now
for them to Judge whether the system pro-
posed is satisfactory. In an article devo-
ted to that subjecta few days ago, we en-
deavored to show what would be the
effect of the Banking clause of the new
Constitution, in the event it should be-
come operative. We are not disposed to
go over that ground again. We regard
the provisions of the new Constitution
upon the subject of banking, as entirely
safe for the people. For Bankers they
are certainly of the straig jacket order.
Objections l8 and l9 are substantially
the same. 1t is objected lst, that instead
Of leaving the General Assembly to cre-
ate Board of Education, the new Con-
| stitution establishes such Board, and
gives its acts the effect of law until the
meeting of the next Legislature. Cd,
| that this Board cannot be abolished before
1868. The principal sin committed here,
appears to have been the anticipation by
the Constitutional Convention of work
that the editor of the Express and Herald
| would have left to the General Assembly;
and this shallow reason furnishes one of
the 2l grand objections laid at the door
of the new Constitution. The point made,
that the enactments Of the Board of Edu-
cation, " no matter how obnoxious" they
may be, must stand as law until the next
meeting of the General Assembly, is
childish and inconsequential. Something
has to stand until proper time to effect
change arrives, fix it as you will. The
General Assembly may (and often does
enact laws that are gravely and extensive
ly objected to; and what's the remedy :?
Simply to wal. until another General
Assembly convenes, and then petition and
agitate for a change.
The old arrangements in regard to a
School System and School Lands have
not worked well. Nearly all our citizens
are favorable to change. A change is
proposed. to which no objections are
brought forward beyond the childish
ones we have just noticed. Does any
| capcihIa man ct,uc. .dar thic n .,aod raocor