The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1870-06-21
GOVERNOR PALMER
on THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTION
FOR ILLINOIS.
He Finds an Imperions Necessity for
lis Adoption.
LETTER FROM HIS ExCELLENCY
TO JESSE W. FELL, EsQ.

which YOU did me the honor tn ask my
views Of the Constitution proposed 10 the
people hy the Convention lately in session
! in this city. expected that within a very
short time,'I would lind an opportunity 10
prepare deliberate answer, but pressing
official duties and the invitations Of the de-
l,huul weather Of the season 10 mount
my hobby of making Improvements have
I-iGen too much for me, and have made 1t
impossible for me to do II until now.
Know ing that your hobby of stree plant
ing often controls your moments l can
hope that you will Know how to pardon
me. trust that you will accept this as q
sufficient apology Tor my delay In answer
ing your inquiries.
l feel no hesitation in saying that the
interests of the people of the State demand
the adoption of the proposed Constitution.
It is not as some seem TO suppose ques-
ton Of preference between the constitution
Of lSi7, and the work of Convention Of
1870, but the real point 10 be decided is,
will the people adopt the Constitution
submitted TO them, or will they live in the
future, rs they have done for several years
past, under n government that has such
powers as the Legislature for the time being
may choose 10 claim for It,
The Constitution of ls47 has been abnn-
doncd by the people as an obsolete thing,
and am panied by the confession am
compelled TO make that its authors and
trainers had anything like correct idea
Of the true meaning of its provisions; there
are not many of them that are not habitu-
ally violated and that too, openly and no
toriously and with the knowledge and, MS
| suppose, the general approval Of the
lpooplc. presume few intelligent men
will require proof Of this statement, rs
startling us IL Is, so that il will only be
necessary TO refer 10 u few of the most
Iglaring examples 20 Illustrate my meaning.
The convention Of 1877 intended to fix the
Isalary Of the Governor ut tho sum of iif-
teen hundred dollars ofthe Supreme Cour,
Judges at twelve hundred dollars each, of
the members Of the General Assembly at
two dollars per day, yet these officers and
NIL Others whose compensation Is liked by
the Constitution, receive much more than
the constitutional allowance. So much in
respect 10 the salaries If the
oiicers Of the State, md humiliating and
domoralizing as this state OF things Is, IL
BY no means illustrates the full extent 10
which the Constitution Is disrcgardcd, TO
! the serious and almost irreparable injury
, Of the people.
But us wrong as these things are, think
, II proper 70 say that the payment Of fixed
asocrtaincd salaries to public officers, us
large M they sonRtimes seem 10 be, have
, never been, and will not hereafter be, bur-
, dcnsomc TO the people, but IL IL the leaks
in the public treasury, unseen yet ever
flowing, that increase our taxes aud bur.
I den our industry. II Is impossible, under
our present Constitution, 10 reform this or
y any other political abuse. The first reason
: why reform is impossible Is, that under
= the provisions Of the Constitution Of lsi7
/, tho responsibility for various Legislation
:. cannot be fixed upon any department .
the State government. The Govcrno
e cannot fairly be held responsible for i'm
Is proper legislation or improvidcnt an,
4, reckless administration, for under on
!, present system he is n mere igurc-head
without influence or power.
~ The truth Of this statement needs u,
! proof Ia those who ARE in the habit VI Wis
% ting Springfield during the sessions Of th,
General assembly, and have observed III,
crowds Of lobbyists attracted here BY th,
raging demand for special legislation
a They demand the most valuable franchis
i cs and grants Of the public property, anC
: BY the combination Of man interests carr,
everything before them. We shall MOI
forget the occasion when certain railroad
corporations presented themselves befor,
. the General Assembly, demanding publ,
: property worth upwards Of two million,
aud half Of dollars, and franchises tha
amount to the ownership Of u large extent
: Of tho Lake front Of Chicago, which are
a valuable beyond ordinary estimation
This scheme was presented amid "a thou.
sand different local bills, and was made the
: central figure Of the group. its'agen,,
y took possession of the seats Of members
, prompted some, minated others, and car.
ried everything before H. and carried the
scheme hat was included in the com.
binstion,
In this instance the General Assembly
wa. AS powerless u the Governor, and un-
Ill special legislation is cut up, root and
branch, the National Congress and Prcsi.
dents, and the General Assemblies of the
e States, and Governors and people are AS
! powerless before these extensive combina-
tions. The influences invoked 10 meet the
/, demands Of special interests take posses.
sion Of the treasury and divide il out ia
spells. They place their agents in the
, Legislature and will, when they choose,
take possession of Judicial places. We
, have i now ia our power to restrict them,
and subject them 10 the control VI law, and
when another opportunity will present
| itseu no man can Tell. 4 hn tendency OF our
government, Stat and National, is to the
destruction Of individual rights OF liberty
and property. To prove this and for no
other purpose, cite the revenue laws of
! the United States, under which arrests are
} made and property seized In manner that
would ut one time have provoked resis-
} lance In any State of the Union, while ac-
cording TO the modes practiced in modern
times, property 10 taken and taxes levied
under State authority for purposes that
until very lately were thought to be merely
private and personal and under modern
Interpretations of the Constitution, the
people are taxed TO build railroads, sink
coal shafts, erect bridges, canals, dams and
embankments, and for. many other pur-
poses for the mere private benefit Of cor.
porations and individuals, and every
county, city, township and town is threat
ened with ruin.
II Is not possible'to maintain liberty for
atsx-burdened people. The stamp OF the
tax-gatherer ia fatal to liberty, disguise the
nstter ms We will, and tho people of the
State may by the adoption Of the Oonstitu-
ton, put some limit upon the necessary
though dangerous power.
BY the provisions Of the fifth article of
TIM proposed Constitution the Governor is
| required To aeeount IN Tho Cana r.l A 49,,