Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-10-06
Shall the Constitution of Ohio be
Revised

ded in their platforms the call for such Con-
vention and II is fair to assume that the leading
members Of both Conventions were sincerely in |
favor Of certain constitutional reforms deemed |
more or less important.
We have before us the new Constitution of the
State of Illinois, which, from the tenor Of the
press of that State gives general satisfaction. In
1t we lnd the OATH Of Office for each member Of
the Legislature. threads as follows:
d" l have not, knowingly or Intentionally, psid
or contributed anything, or made any promises
in the nature of bribe, TO directly or indirectly
influence any vote at the election at which was
chosen to fill said Office and have not accepted,
nor will accept or receive, directly or in
directly, money or other valuable thing,
from any corporation, company or persJ for any
influence or vote may give or withhold on any
bill, resolution or appropriation, or Tor any other
official act."
With some, snch an oath mightbe considered
gross interference with private affairs, public
office being held as so much stock in trade, for
speculation and personal benefit. But what dis
interested man will say it is any too stringent
Therefore we hope 10 ha We such clause added
to the Cons tituton Of Ohio.
The fact of its not entering into the canvass
as political question, has caused it 10 be almost
enti rely overlooked by the State Central Com
mittee, the press, and the voting population. Not
until Wednesday of this week did we receive
instructions frem tho Estate Central Committee.
to see that CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
Yes" should be added to the bottom of the State
ticket.
Every voter whU takes an interest in the well
fare Of his country, desires t,get all the inform
alton attainable, that he may vote intelligently.
In order to give all such information at our COM
mand at this late day, we add below the greater
portion of an article on this subject, from the
Cincinnati Commercial, the only argument we
have seen for or against the calling of such Con-
venion:
We propose to glance briefly at some Of the
changes which might advantageously be made
| in our State Constitution, with view protect
more fully popular rights, aud to reform abuses
in the legislative, executive and judicial depart
| ments of the State Government. We dismiss,
al the outset, the objection that II Is an inoppor
tune moment tn revise the fundamental law, and
that such a revision is premature or unneces-
sary The Constitution adopted in 1851 has
had twenty years Of trial, and while il has
proved, In many respects, great improvement
| npon its predecessor, il must be confessed that
its deficiencies are great. and that the vast ex-
mansion of our population, with the attendant
growth ofgreat cities and corporations, the lat
ter welding powers heretofore unr nrrecedented
has rendered il necessary to guard more closely
the foundations Of our laws, and the individual
rights of the citizens assumed to be protected by
them. Twenty years Of time may not be long in
the life of nation or OF State, vet IL represent:
very nearly generation, and the last twenty
years in particular have been productive of q
development, political, social and commercial
such as no previous twenty years in our histo
nv can show Even should It be determined BY
the popular majority to call a Constitutional
Convention, 1t is hardly probable that its per
fccted work could be adopted so as to supersede
the present Constitution much before the lapse
Of o quarter Of century from the ratification o.
the latter. The Constitutional Convention oi
lS50-5l sat more than six months, besides q
long recess Of five months more between its two
sessions Convennig on the 5.h Of Nav, 1850 il
did no; adjourn until the 10th OF March, 1851
We can scarcely expect greater celebrity in the
dispatch Of business at the present day, when
the interests at stake and the differences to bt
reconciled are at least of equal magnitude, II
the Convention is ordered to be called by thC
vote of October next the Legislature must provide
for its election some time in 1872, and ii will
hardly have finished its work for submission ic
the pcOule much before the fall election Of 1873
II would then, il adopted, go into operation about
theIbeginning Of the year 1874.
We presume that few persons can have ser
iously considered .he evils that continually flow
upon hasty legislation, without commug to the
cnnlusion that the Governor of Ohio ought tc
have qualified veto power. Under our present
Constitution, the Governor OF the State is bu
little more than prominent hgure-head, repre-
senting the dignity Of the State Government
without any of the powers thereof and decided
ly ADAPTED, so far as the constitutional character
of his office can make him, to be more ornamen
tai than useful 1t is true Ohio has been fol
these many years fortunate in having worthy
and efficient officers in the gubernaiional chair
ready to assume responsibility in times of grea
public peril, and making Of their office anything
but pleasant sinecure. But when we cOnside
that man fit to be the Governor of millions h'
should be possessed OF thorough knowledge o
law, mastery OF public affairs, and wisdom
n prudence, practical sagacity, and an inde
pendence which should he at all times at The
. service of the people OF the State. IL doe
seem foolish piece of bunQng to deny him th
power to serve the public by interposing whole
some check upon hasty legislation. Much AM
foolshly as men pirate about the superior trus
to be reposed in legislature fresh from the peo
ple we all know what egr -rious fnllies, stupidi
ties and frauds our Legislative bndies are som'
! timcsiyuilty Of No matter what party they rep
rescni. they are only to be tru sed when they &C
q ia full deliberative mood and not always then
tits notorious that it Is easierto buy whfl nj
majority Of legislature to corrupt ends, than
G brbe an officer Of high and independent po
sitinn. like the Governor of State. Wher
would New York be to-day. had the Governor
like ours, been denied the veto power by th
o State Constitution Governor Hoffman stoT
}, ped nearly one hundred acts out of fou
y hundred passed by the last notoriously corrul
r Legislature of the State and there was hard
one Of the vetoed acts but would have take
o money wrongfully from Il pockets Of the peopl
Besides. the veto power is carefully reserTe
to the President of the United States by our Fe.
eral Constitution. The wisdom Of the men VII
ma ie that instrument is continually lauded; whei
;. then, is the wisdom of denying the same whol'
some power to the Governor of o State Almn
every President, from WAsHtNGToS to GRAN
J. has exercised the veto power MS against son
n act of Congress, and we undertake tn say that
careful scrutiny of all the cases would pro,
that in nine instances out OF ten. its exercisehi
: proved beneficial, and not detrimental to Il
v public welfare.
What is the veto power? tits not as SON
:, seem to suppose, power TO defeat the publ
U will, as manifested in legislative acts on II
contrary, in its origin and essence, 1t is nOthr
q but form, tn give more full effect to the publ
will, by permitting the Governor N saw, :" Veto
e | forbid the passage Of this bill until the legi
latve body, having more maturely considers
e it, shall pass il by majority Of two-thirds
e That is all.
The judicial power, as embodied in the 81
preme Court, appears to VS. to need some in
portant modification, in order to the full efiiciel
. cy Of that tribunal. 1t is well known that Il
judicial business of the Court is heavily at
& ccn.t,nty in arrear, to the prejudice Of its ea
/ clency and popularity, TO the great annoyance
n tue legal profession, and to the Inconvenience
tho people by defeating that speedy and prom
d administrati m Of justice, which it is the obje
c Of the Constitution to secure. There are b.
+ five Judges of the Supreme Court under Il
e present Constitution, each holding office but fi'
}, years. Illinois, with far less population and
}. narrower judicial history, has seven Supreu
}? Judges, elected by the people, the tenure Of the
economy, in spite of small increase Of snlarit
officers, to elect Supreme Bench compete
r not only in professional capacity aud attainmer
!. but adequate in number, to dispatch more raj