The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-10-05

Annual sessions-Amendment OF the Constitution
Electors will bear in mind that they will be
called upon, on Tuesday next, to vote for orI
against an Amendment of the Constitution ).
providing for annual sessions of the Legisla
ture. ~ 81
@ Each elector should maturely consider The
subject, and be prepared to act irtelligepily
and satisfactorily to himself in the premises.
The following is the resolution upon=the
subject, passed at the late session of the Leg.
islature
- Resolued By the General Assembly of the
Stale OF Ohio, Three-filth of the members of
each house concurring therein, that it be and
is hereby proposed to the electors of the State
to vote at the next annual October State
election, upon the approval or rejection of the
following amendment as a substitute for the
first clause of the twenty.fifth section of the
second article of the Constitution of this
State, to wit :: ttAlE regular sessions of the
General Assembly shall commence on the first
Monday in January, annually.
The following. passed by the last Legisla
ture establishes the mode of voting as follows :
"That the electors of the State shall vote
upon said proposed amendment at the general
election in October, 1859 as herein prescribed,
viz Those voting for said amendment pro-
viding for annual sessions of the Legislature,
shall put upon their ballots these words, AN
nual Sessions, Yes and those voting against
it shall put on their ballots these words, An
nual Sessions, No."
The Constitution. Article XVI. Sec. l, re
lative to amendments, provides as follows:
If maioriiy of the electors voting shall
accept such amendments, the same shall be
come a part of the Constitution"
1t will be seen that a majority Of all the
votes cast is required to adopt-an amendment
hence every man who votes the State ticket
and refraips from voting one way Or the other
on the amendment, will be counted against
it. Non voting on the amendment is mega
tue roting. whereas, every man who wishes
the amendment adopted, must be careful to
indorse on his bollot. 'Annual Sessions, Yes
while all opposed to it may ignore the whole
thing and give themselves no trouble about it
We are in favor of Annual Sessions of the
Legislature, but we are decidedly opposed to
the foregoing amendment and for this reason;
il does NOT proride for the annual election OF
Representatives.. # Fl
Q If the amendment is adopted, the people
will only have the privilege, as now, of electiug
Representatives once in two years, and will
be no better off than they are now with bien
NAL elections and adjourned sessions, which
practically, ever since the adoption Of the new
constitution, have amounted to annual sessions
The true principle is annual sessions ann
annual elections. that the Representatives. mag
come, each gear, fresh from, the people, other
wise, no advantage is gained over the existing
state of things. raj
E From information which we have from diff
ferent parts of the State, we feel confident
that this proposed amendment will be over
whelmingly defeated, simply because it does
not provide for the annual election of Repre-
We sincerely hope the intelligent citizens o
Portage County, will refuse to vote one way
or the other, on this amendment. and thus le
their influence go against it. F-
+ By this halfway reform measure, nothing
can be gained s-'7s .' '.aa '.E s--.'f --'5
Let US wait till we can secure both annua
sessions, and an annual election of Represen
tatives, and then we shall have attained, doubt
less, to decided advantage.
80 We hope there will be no more adjourned
sessions We should like to see biennial leg
slation practically tested. That is what wi
have not yet seen under the new constitution
In the last Legislature, "the Constitution
was in the hands of its friends" and it did no
suit them, and they must needs attempt t.
"tinker it. 1t is to he hoped that Repubii
cans. generally, will refuse to aid them in thei
tinkering attempts at empty, abortive reforms