New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-10-16

mothered unders - feisniiess Democratic
majority. ana usn- nsver make itself manifest.
just 90 vita tAs Fifteen thousand Democrats
Of Allegheny and the Eight or Nine Thou-
sand of Lancaster. Why should not these
have voice in legislation as well as though
they lived In other countiesi They are eih-
xens; they pay taxes. and are drafted in case
Of. need. why Eas and fetter thcmf We pre-
dist that the local minorities IL allowed repre-
sanitation propmtoned to their numbers, win
elect akler and better men, in the average,
than the n,sjoritiss do. We entreat Pennsyl-
yania 10 seoord 70 all her people, and not
local msjori6es merely, voice in framing the
laws under which they live.
v. AS venality OFscorruption in Office, more
especially in legislation, is The giant evil of our
day, the Convention viii of course deal with
It sternly and thoughtfuny. We submit for the
consideration of its members the Article on
this subject natared by our States Convention
OF 1Ss7-as follows: .. -.......
Art XIII. SECTION 1. Any person holding Office under
the laws Of this State who except In payment Of his e
gal salary fees perquises receives consents to
receive directly Indirectly anything Of value or OF
personal advantage the promise thereof for perform
ing or omittng to perform any official act with the
or omission sot 10 DO any degree Influenced there
BY shall be deemed guilty Of felony and conviction
shan be punished by imprisonment In State prison. Tor
term not exceeding Ave years, by fine not exceed
Ing Eve thousand dollars BOTH In the discretion OF the
eouf This section shall not affect the validity OF any
existing statutes In relation to the oense OF bribery
SEC. 2. Any person Offering bribe II IL shall be ao
eepted shall not be liable TO civil criminal prosecu
ton therefor. But any person who Offers or promises
brbe 1t shall be rejected by the officer TO whom 1t
rendered shan be deemed guilty OF attempt to brbe
which hereby declared to BIO felony and on eonvie
ton shall be punished provided In the first section OF
this article. ..
SEC g. Any person charged with receiving bride, or
with Offering promising brbe that Is rejected, shall
be permitted to testify In his own behalf In any civil or
criminal prosecution therefor
SEC Any District Attorney who shall fail faithfully
to prosecute the violation his county Of any provision
of this Article which may to his knowledge, shall
be removed from office by the Governor after due notice
and an opportunity Of being heard his defonse The
expenses which shall be incurred by any county in In
vestigatng and prosecuting any charge Of bribery or
attempting bride any State officer member OF the
Legislature within such county, and Of receiving brides
by any State officer or member OF the Legislature in said
county, shall be charge against the State, and their
payment by the State shall be provided for by law
The Constitution which embodied this
Article was voted down by Tweed and his
Observation-Disclosures by the votes OF men
who qualified themselves for the task by
taking care never to read the document they
condemned. Had that Constitution been
adopted, our City would have owed Twenty
Millions less than she now does, while Tweeds
fortune would have been Millions less than it
is. If a vote could be taken this Fall, the
Amended Constitution would be Overwhelm-
ingly ratified.
vi. Finally, elect your ablest, wisest, ripest,
purest men to the Convention, regardless of
politics. Orr Constitution was voted down
because Republicans made it. We trust that
reason may not prove conclusive in Penn
sylvania.
We infer from partial returns that Ohio
has also decided to have Convention.