Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-05-14

INV great sxtsnt. A itso people musf
have legislation, and tho freer they.
aro tho moro they need II, for there
can bc no liberty without law. The
various opinions and diversi6sd intSy
ssts of such . people % arc ours, mui.
tiply the lava that are nccesssry for
their government. Aftcr limiting The.
power of the Legislature a. much -
you can, you must still leave Il in pos
session Of q great deal. Indeed YOU
can scarcely diminish II in any per-
ccptible degree; and what is loft in
its hands is liable to bc a. frightfullt
abused, as II none was taken away.
ii. Prescribe certain forms of pro-
ceeding phich piH insure elaboration
and publicity. l need not specify
these forms. You end thcm In tho 70.
port They require q bill to be rss
ported by committee, and then read
through and through, not onoo or
twice, but three times in each House;
the final vote TO be taken by yeas and
nays, and recorded; each bill 10 hAye
but ono object, and that expressed IN
it's title; every law to be preceded BY
a preamble, expressing the reasons Of
the Legislature for assehting TO Il;
tho fnal passago Of the law TO be con-
Cured in by majority Of members
elected to both Houses, and aftor pass
age, the title Of It to be publicly read
Immediately before 1t is signed by the
Speaker. These forms will do much
TO prevent hasty and thoughtless
legislation, and mako il much moro
diiiiult than IL is now for members
TO commit frauds upon one another
by olandestincly procuring tho pass
age Of bills which majority do not
consent to But they will not throw
any serious impcdiment in the way Of
injurious legislation to which majori-
ty o. the members can be induced TO
consent. The most iniquitous laws
we are cursed with have been passed
without resort to the tricks which
these forms are intended to prevent.
Corrupt combinations are made every
day which carry majority, with thoir
eyes wide open, through all frauds,
and as Secretary Jordan tells us,strong
enough to break down the Executive
armed though It bo with the vcto.--
Whilo therefore, these provisions are
salutary and desirable, they are not
sufficient Of themselves to save us. l
proceed to show what more seems to-
be necessary.
III. Define bribery so as to include all
sorts of corruption. When . member
is to be corrupted, ho is not in ono
case out of hundred offered money
in the plain form Of quid pro qao.--
Almost never is contract made In
words that the vote shall be sold for
a certain price paid down as promised.
The money is presented as gracious
gift or as q testimonial Of the donors
affection--it is slipped into the pocket
Of tho member without word, or as
it is placed under bis pillow, where he
finds it. Most commonly the object
is reached by wider circum tendibus.
The member is employed as attorney
for the party interested in his vote,
and the bribe comes in shape Of a fec
for other services. 1t is not ut all
unusal for members who are consid-
cred respectable tc let themselves bs
bought in this way. Still oftcner the
end is accomplished by giving the
member an interest in the subjecs
matter, whose value is to be affected
by his vote. The stock of corpora
ton is distributed "where it will do
most good" or tho member is taken
as o partner, into some speculation
which he is TO promote by procuring
legislation. In thousand ingenious
ways it may be made his private in.
terest to Disregard his public duty
All these ways arc equally corrupt
and the people owe it to themselves
10 stop them.
Nv. Ertinguish the lobby at once and
foreper, by making all prirdte solicitd.
tion of members by interested parties or
their agents a criminal offence. This
is so obviously proper and right that
it can hardly be necessary 10 viHas-
cate it. Tho hirclings Of corruption
have organized themselves into"a third
house" they have usurred the power
which the Constitution gives 10 tho
other two; they exercise the supreme
legislative authority oi the Statej the
Senate and House Of Representatives
are degraded into their mere tools,
and repeat that they are the most
loathsome wretches that are suffered
to live in tho world. All mon agree
to this as q matter of fact. Nobody
doubts the omnipotent power Of tho
"third house" or tho 0evil purposes for
which it is used, nor has any one over
suggested the least possible good that
can result from it's continued existence.
The total abolition Of this "tbird
house" is demanded not only to secure
the weak from temptation, but as .
measure Of protection 70 the strong
and upright from insult and annoy
anoc. By adopting is you purify the
Legislature instantly and restore the
honor Of your government for there
never has been any bribery, oorrup-
ton, or other improper influence
which did not como privately and
secretely in that way. Let no man
say that We desire TO cut off all com.
municalion between the Representa-
two and his constituents. All public
means of expressing his opinions and
wishes are to be left open tho right
Of petition shall be as sacred as over ;
the privilege OF being openly heard
before committee shall be carefully
secured; tho right Of the people TO
assemble and speak their will, or TO
discuss their affairs through the press
shall not be denied. The Representa-.
tive ought to be controlled in somc
measure at least by an enlightened
public opinion, but il is not necessary
for that purpose that he should open
his car to the insulting whispers oi
tho miscreants who now drag him up
and down the boardwalk, and follow
him TO his lodgings. and stand behind