The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-24
A proper Plank for the Republican
Platform.

OK Wednesday next our State Convention
will meet at Williamsport to nominate can
didate for the Supreme Judgeship, and to pre-
sent a platform to the Republican party OF
Pennsylvania. Upon that Convention will
rest the responsibility of defeat or victory in
October next. With them the decision of the
contest resides. Nor in making this state
ment do we intend to limit it in any sense.
We mean literally what we say. 1t should
select a thoroughly good, upright, able,
and well-known gentleman for our candidate.
If it also adopt platform composed of
clear principles of justice and right, and
favoring reform, we will be far in advance of
our opponents. We must have a platform
which will carry the candidate, and not, as
with the Democracy, one which will weigh
down the candidate. If these two wants are
supplied by the Convention, the victory is ours.
We do not propose to suggest any one as a
suitable person for the nomination. We have
no personal prejudices; so that the candidate
possesses the elements of strength, he will be
heartily acceptable. But in regard to the
platform, we desire to throw out a suggestion
to which it behoves the Convention to give its
attention. We desire to see plank adopted
which will favor the call of convention to
revise the Constitution of the State. We de-
sire that the Republican party shall be put
fairly before the people, pledged to favor this
needed reform. The only way to have all the
defects in that instrument removed is By
Constitutional Convention. The people, in
delegating to their representatives certain
fOr
selves the right to alter or utterly repeal that
instrument should they ever see proper. All
changes must ultimately receive the popular
assent, and every amendment to be made
must be voted on directly by all the people,
before it can become part of the supreme law
of the State. Now the preliminary steps to
such an amendment are such as to seriously
eopardize its ultimate success. By provision
of the law two successive Legislatures must
assent to it before it can be submitted directly
to the people. In certain cases the preliminary
assent cannot in all probability be obtained,
although it is required in justice. Such case
is now before us. The Legislature has be-
come corrupt body. 1t is stepped in all the
dregs of low political trickery. Proper bills
cannot be carried without money be paid, and
a ring, or rather a series of rings, rule its
actions, instead of the public interest. The fact
that the Senate consists of but thirty-three
members is of itself premium on corruption.
Half-a-dozen can, on any question, hold the
balance of power, and demand aoquiescence to
their extortion. What is needed is some reform
which will break up the corruption and the only
way by which it can be secured is by increasing
the number of members. Instead of having the
Senate consist of thirty-three let it have one
hundred, and the House three hundred men,
bers, and then all fears of bribery will be re-
moved. 1t would take the fortune of Roths-
child or Barring to buy up majority of
three hundred, and all the money in the
world could not keep the fact a secret 1t is
this plan which is recommended in New York
by David Dudley Field, who says that ''three
hundred members Of the lower House is not
one too many Yet before this step in favor
of official purity can be taken, an amendment
to the Constitution is needed. What hope
can we have to get the assent of the ring itself
to any such changer Will they vote away
their power, and virtually provide for the
prevention of their extortion in the future
OIo&Ily uOIs AL buOA IO1OIunS WOulu 10 U0-
feated in the Legislature, yet it is required by
the public, and is certainly needed to save the
fair fame of our State.
This is one amendment needed which calls
for convention. Again. the extension of
impartial suffrage to all our citizens is de-
manded by justice and the enlightened spirit
of the age. And many other issues which will
occur to our readers which can only be salts
factorily reached by general election of such
body by the people. We therefore earnestly
hope that the Williamsport Convention will
declare itself in favor of such a step. 1t will
place our party on the side of reform.
The people-the good, sensible, solid people of
the Commonwealth--haye never turned their
backs on any step looking towards the correc-
tion of official evils. twill be a strong ground
for argument in the campaign. New York is
already at work, and our Constitution needs
revision Just as badly as that of the Empire
State. Our opponents have committed an
oversight. Let us profit by their neglect, and
strive to remedy the corruption which they
are willing to tolerate.