, 1862-06-13

tion was called to revise the Constitution,
there is no one who would propose that dur
ing our present conVu1sion Of national affairs,
the people Of Illinois would undertake to
oyerturn the existing 1aw6 Of the state, and
introduce new and untried theories into our
the jury, and to invest courts aud judges with
summary powers7 Is this time to
give 3 legislature the whole and ex-
elusive power over the State treasury,
or to invest them with an unlimited authority
to regulate the salaries Of all the departments
Of the State government? 1t Is well KNOWN
that the authority to fix salary is great
step in giving control over the action Of the
officer who receives that salary. 1t is true that
DO salary can be changed during the term tor
which person is elected, hut as oil our OIL
GERS are elected fF short terms, and it IS
weakness of human nature TO desire re'elee-
ton. nothing is more certain than that each
legislature will see the entire official force OF
the State lobbying to haTe the salaries in-
creased, and as 2l1 experience has shoWn, the
legislature will succumb. No State legfsla-
ture in the Union having the power to in
pressure and the experience Of Illinois shows
That she has been no exception to the rule.
The conycntion WIS called to remedy cer-
tain defects in the existing constitution. Onc
of these aud the main one, was to remedy the
great defect in the organization Of the lud1c1a"
~. AIhkC VI AAEINuS t14ah A@<atA y VI kAAI
old constitution, the new one leaves the NUM-
Der Of judges, their mode Of election and
their term Of Office, exactly as it was before,
but it imposes upon them certain consttu-
tional duties which if required will block up
| the course OF business in that tribunal as will
| soon make it wholly useless The additional
change made is to give the legislature power,
! when the Supreme Court does not make
decisions suitable to the political party in
power, to turn said judges ou: Of office, re-
district the State to suit the exigencies Of the
| party, and order new election for an IN
| creased number Of Judges Of the right polltl-
cal stripe.
This is dangerous power with which to III
vest any political party, and no party can safe
1y adopt it, for when the time comes when il
may be exercised, who can tell that this OF
that party will be in the supremacy. Ths
teaching Of history Is to let the judiciary be a
independent in point Of salary always, and II
the tenure Of office as far as practicable ane
consistent with 4 due responsibility to tn
people. The responsibility Of the supreme
court to the people was sufficiently r75se319; te;
5a tai:Gs requirement that one-third Of that cour
! irg The legislature The extraordinary power Il
dismiss the whole court At any time when tina
tribunal did not make decisions to carry on
| the "platform ~ Of the partisan majority.
We trust the address will be read By alb
the friends as well as opponents Of the neS
/ CONSTITUTION. IL pr0CctQo lIou u Aul4uST =
| rentlemen in this city Tho are well know
| politically, and who have and enjoy the tn
confidence personally Of their fellow citizens
They are, as We have said, Democrats, and I'll
| most Of them have taken an active and yea
ous part in all the political contests OF the Ii!
T / ten years. They have been Democrats not b.
cause it vas their personal, mercantile or pr
fussional benefit to be such, but because the
believed in the Democratic faith. They now q
peal to fellow citizens, to those with whol
they have stood shoulder to shoulder durir
t the many fierce and bitter contests, and a
| them to pause and deliberate well bcfo
t | voting for the new constitution, which on
{ adopted, they honestly and conscientious
) believe Will work such injury to the State, At
, produce such disasters to its people Us to
: frremediab1e. The constitution is no a NJ.
: ter Of o day. It is to last for years. It nu
f take six, it may take ten years to amend
Once adopted it will be too late to recall t
: act ANY defect in the old constitution C
/ he remedied and amended just as soon, if 7
e much sooner than any provision in the nj
' | one.
These gentlemen, therefore, appeal to tn
G | fellow Democrats and to men OF all parties
e | pause and reflect whether we had not bet
: continue year or two longer under the {
c fomiliar constitution, when with i Tcstoratl
|. | Of pcace and return Of national union !:
e prosperity, the whole people can unite in M:
r. ing o constitution adapted to the exist
v wants and necessities Of the State.