The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-12
THE CONSTITUTIONAL OONVEN-


WE are glad to notice that the proposed Con-
vention continues to attract the favorable
attention of a number of journals in the in
terror, and that the necessity for radical
revision of the fundamental law of the Com
monwealth is generally acknowledged. The
ultimate success of this movement will de-
pend in a large degree upon the spirit in
which it is conducted and the char
acter of the delegates chosen by
the people. 1t is possible that the Constitu-
tion might in some respects be injured in
stead of being improved, and weak or bad
men would affect Convention as injuriously
RS they affect the Legislature. What is
needed is that the best members of both
parties should make an earnest endeavor to
promote the interests of the people, and if
the voters of Pennsylvania improve the op-
portunity likely to be presented, this great
end can be secured. But alrsady hints are
thrown out that some of the Democrats will
make desperate effort to have the Registry
law abrogated by the convention, that attempts
will be made to overthrow some of the existing
restrictions upon corporations, and in various
ether ways private axes will be ground. 1t is
far better, however, to incur the risk of such
dangers, against which the people have the
sure safeguard afforded by an opportunity to
vote down an obnoxious new Constitution,
than to suffer the present Constitution to re-
main unamended. 1t is vitally important
that deliverance from the existing evils should
lie energetically sought, and in addition to
the various reform propositions to which we
have heretofore referred, it is perhaps desir-
able that provision should be made for the
election by popular vote of Lieutenant
Governor, as we'll as for restraint of the
pardoning power, which has been sadly
abused by our Executives. The most import
ant object to be obtained, however, is the
reformation of the Legislature. If plan
can be devised whereby good men can be
sent to Harrisburg to pass good general laws,
they will correct evils as they are developed
from time to time. We know of no consti-
tutional change which seems so likely to
effect this end as an increase in the number
of members. Practically this system works
well in New England, many of her best citi-
zens being every year chosen as legislators.
The objection is made in some quarters that
an increase of the number of members would
convert the Legislature into a mere mob;
but the proceedings of the National
House of Representatives, containing nearly
two hundred and fifty members,
of the British House of Commons
which contains more than six hundred and
fifty members, and of the National Conven-
tions of the Republican and Democratic par
ties, prove the fallacy of this objection. In
large deliberative bodies men of real talent
generally attain leadership, donkeys and i'm
beetles are coughed down, and comprehen-
sive measures of general Importance are much
more apt to be considered than petty private
bills. In our present Legislature the real
leaders are notorious mainly for their We
nality; useful public laws never receive atten-
tive consideration; the public interests are
habitually neglected. and the bodies now an
nually assembled in the Capitol at Harrisburg
thus lack the very characteristics which en-
Iarged membership seems to give to national
conventions, the House of Representatives,
aud the House Of Commons.