The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-02-08


be vastly economical. The whole cost
of a legislature consisting of five hum
dred memb and the necessary officers,
under the foregoing provisions, would
not be as much as our present legisla-
ture costswith but one hundreds and thir-
ty-three members, and there would be
the incalculable advantage of the arrest
of the profigate appropriation of mon
ey for any and every purpose that will
pay the lobby; and in addition to the
advantages ofsaving the publictreasure,
it would secure honest Legislators for
two reasons:
! Il It would place the legislature be-
yond the control of lobbyists because of
its numbers, and would arrest the
"snaking" through of bills in slim
house and without a record of each
mans vote. In few of the New Eng
lard States each town corresponding
to yAr. townships sends member Of
thelegislature. Thus thepopular branch
of the Massachusetts legislature num-
bers several hundred, although the
State has not half our population, nora
tithe of our commercial, mineral or ag-
ricultural interests to foster or care for.
In such legislatures corruption is un-
known. The body is too large for the
lobby to control, and it does not blot
the history of that State as itdoes in our
mighty Commonwealth-still mighty
in spite of the vampires who batten
upon her in the name ofguardians.
2. 1t would bring the representative
into immediate relations with, and di-
rect responsibility to, his constituents.
If Franklin county elected four repre-
sentatives instead of half of two, each
district would be composed of several
townships, and the People would have
personal knowledge Of the man they
elect, and he could not err in ascertain
ing their wishes upon any question.
He could not plead, as dofaithless men
part of his district demanded his be-
trayal of other interests, and thus cloak
his shame. There would be direct and
positive responsibility from eachm
Der to his own people, and they could
not be deceived, nor would theyexcuse
a disregard of their wishes. 1t would
call to our Legislature different class,
of men. Intelligent farmers and bust
ness men could afford to go, as there
would be only general legislation to
enact, and the sessions could rarely eX-
ceed thirty to forty days, instead of
from three to four months, as now, de-
voted to passing half a score Of general
laws and thousand of a private char
acter.
Unless the People Of Pennsylvania
adopt this remedy they mast continue to
be at the mercy Of -cory,tptiOpists. No
matter a0Iadt party IS IN po,0er, the same
history is awitten. 1t cannot
be done by proposing constitutional
in the legislature. That
would require two years even ifitwere
possible to effect the reform through
that channel. But will the votaries of
plunder write their own just history
and open their own tombs? They may
profess to proffer reform, but it will
come with all the reservations, most
covered, that the lobby de-
sires. Let the people demand a Con-
vention. The Legislature can author
ize vote in JuneneXt, adjourn to meet
after the returns are officially received,
and provide for choosing delegates to
the Convention at the regular election
in October next. No matter which of !
the two great parties should carry the |
substantial Reform would |
come, for no man would venture to run
on any ticket in opposition to it. Ad-
by the People, as they would |
be, in the overwhelming success Of the
most earnest Reform members, the end !
of shameless debauchery in our places
of power would be triumphantly attain
ed.
Will the press speak? 1t is the
outer sentinel of popular liberty and |
safety. and cannot be silent but by COM
plicity with crime. Will the People |
speak? 1t is their cause; it involves |
their interests, their honor, their boast
ed fabric of free government, and they |
can be Indifferent only to become pitt
able suicides!
We have deemed it proper to give
place to the above excellent article
from the pen of Mr.. Mcclure, that our
readers may learn what leading and
influential opponent thinks of the dan
gers which beset us in our State Gov
ernment. Many of thearguments will
strike the reader as unanswerable, and
the earnestness with which they are
show that the writer feels
keenly the necessity of radical re-
form.
Whether Mr.. Mcclure is just the
proper person to conduct to success the
sweeping reform that he proposes,
there are some matters in his political
career that may we'll raise a doubt.
When a man assumes the lofty role of