Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-10-23
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there is no euro for this evil patriots
may as well hang their harps upon
the willows, because the government
of the great central States isjust now
in tho hands of thieves and unscrupu-
lous men, and If no remedy can be
applied through our Constitutional
Convention, which will assemble next
month, il will take less than half a
score of years until we will land either
in monarchal or dospotic govern
ment, 40 far as our own State is con-
cerned. The following wholesome ad.
vice upon the question under consid-
Grafton we take from tho Press, and
II meets our IDEAS exactly:
"Tho root Of evil in the public az
fairs Of Pennsylvania is the Legisla-
turc. Tho corruption that has be-
come Systematic, reaching even to the
electors themselves, originated in this
body. Its reform is the question that
must engage most of the attention Of
the Constitutional Convention. We
may amend the Constitution in the
interest of good government, put all
manner of chcclss upon the law max
ing power and erect every safeguard
against corruption that human inge-
nuity may suggest, and yet with a
vcnal Legislature and ono evil genius
at its back, all this work will be so
much honest labor lost, This is, after
all, the gravest subject before tho poo
pie. If, as was recently remarked of
II neighboring Commonwealtl,-ifc cor
rupt men can continue TO control our
State Legislature, their domination
must remain unbridlcd, and in an
amazingly short space of time the
whole country may be mortgagcd to
public creditors. But the evil will
not stop with the robbery of the Pub
lie Treasury. Its natural sequel
would be the corruption OF the people
themselves. With our present system
OF elections and apportionment we do
not believe il possible to secnre an
honest Assembly. The Assembly as at
present formed we believe entirely too
small. 1t is uurepresentative, and,
unlike q Democracy, not near enough
to the people The first step towards
reform, we believe, will be TO restore
its original popularity By enlarging
its membership. More Representa-
tives and smaller districts will admit
of scrutiny into the character of can
didates, and of an opportunity for the
exercise OF the unbiased Judgment
now so seldom displayed in the exer-
else of the suffrage.
"Tbe Legislature of Pennsylvania
consists now, as it has consisted for
three-quarters Of century, of thirty
three Senators and one hundred As
semblymen. The population Of the
State in 1870 was 3,52l ,79l--one SEN
ator for every l06,720, and one AS
semblyman for every 35,2l7. In the
Massachusetts, Legislature there are
forty Senators aud two hundred and
forty Assemblymen, and the popula-
tion of the State in 1870 was 45l :
35l, or one Senator for every 80, ,433
of the population and one Assembly
man for every 6,072 Of the population.
In New Hampshire, with only 31s,-
800 population, the Legislature nun
bers 81 members. Ia Vermont, Con.
necticut, Rhode Island, and other New
England States, the Legislatures are
equally popular, and in all of them
pure 1t is onfy in Pennsylvania and
New York, where the tendency has
been TO remove the law making power
further and further from the people,
that the State capitals are compared
to stambes and where charges q sc
naiiiy and bribery are openly made.
"The first step toward reforming
the Legislature will we think, there.
fore, be to increase it's numerical
strength and 10 restore ms near as pos
sible its original rate Of representa-.
ton. The FIRST Legislature in onr
history was based upon the census Of
1880, when tue population of ihc State
was 434 .373, and the apportionmcnI
one Senator for every 1892, and one
Assemblyman for every 4,3l4, which
was the nearest approximation &c
Democracy pure and simple ever wit
messed in the government of Pcnnsyl
vunia.
"The restoration Of these rates woulC
of course make too cumbrous n body
but we can at least revive in u measure
the influence of the people in the ad
ministration of affairs One Senator
for every 35,2l7 OF the population, ant
one Assemblyman for every $4,000
| would be a good basis on which {,
build"