The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-12-26
C.:g lc,r Constitutions.

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The newspapers are commenting very
generally and. almost without an excep-
iion. in most favorable terms upon our
new constitution. Among others the New
York Herald approves of il heartily. The
new State constitution of Pennsylvania it
says, framed by q convention of able men
OF all parties elected for the purpose, and
ratified on Tuesday last by an ovorwhelm-
ing majority Of the popular vote, marks a
great ana glorious revolution in that stuC-
dy old commonwealth in behalf of honest
elections, honest legislation, the entail
nent of the powers and privileges of grasp
ing railway nn0nopOlles, and for the protec-
ton OF the pubic treasury against bribery,
corruption and frauds and leakages. In
deed, since the adoption of the constitu-
tiOn Of the United States, no State in the
Union, at a single bound has advanced so
far in the good work of reform on the
broad platform of popular sovereignty and
popular rights rs Pennsylvania has ad-
Vanced iii the adoption of this new consti-
tuition, this Magma Charta, as we may call
it, of a new dispensation.
This new constitution, among other
things, provides that the term of the gov
ernor shall be four years, and that he shall
be limited to one term that the represent
ntives of the State Legislature shall be
elected for two and the senators for four
years, and that the elections and the ses-
sions of the legislature shall be biennial
The term of the supreme court judges is
extended from ifteen TO twenty-oue years
and varied as notifications are made in
the terms of other State officers, the zone
term principle being generally applied to
them. This is good principle, and will
operate as a salutary check against corrupt
political intrigues among the officers COLI
cerned in reference to the succession in
their respective Offices. The American
people are looking for the application Of
this one term principle to the President of
the United States or for some limitation
of his eligibility. in an amendment of our
national constitution. But, again, this
new constitution of Pennsylvania provides
that the regular State elections shall be
held on the same day as the Presidential
election, ana that the municipal elections
shall be held in February. This merging
the State election of the Presidential year
in the Presidential election is an immense
reform for we all know that PennSylva-
mia, being considered the balance of power
in many of our Presidential contests of the
last forty years her October State election
has too frequently been made the wager of
battle for the Presidency itself. We all
know that this thing has operated not only
to spread broadcast over Pennsylvania all
the vices of political corruption. but that
ii has brought in from time to time cor
rupt appliances from other States and from
Washington to carry the Pennsylvania
October election in the Presidential year.
This fruitful source of political corrup-
tion no longer exists and if we could have
all our State elections in the Presidential
year on the same day rs the election for
President, the scheming politicians whose
game it is to carry the Stale elections of
August, September aud October for their
Presidential purposes in November would
find their occupations gone. Our State
elections WOULD be carried, even in the
Presidential year upon their own merits,
and the politicians OF every State would be
kept too actively employed at home to i'll
terfere i'll the affairs Of their neighbors.
But, again, this new constitution of Penn
syivauia, for the purification of the ballot
box, provides that the ballots cast shall be
numbered, that voters may put their names
on their ballots, and that the confidence of
the voters shall not be betrayed by the
election officers. Various other safeguards
of the ballot-boX are provided, all calcula-
ted TO secure fair voting and honest returns
Next, the checks and balances upon the
legislature are well considered for the pre-
vention of corrupt or hasty Legislation.
Zach bill, for example, IL to be limited to
one subject named i'll the bill, aud every
bill is to be read three times III full on the /
arc made the governor may veto Il part or
parts Of the bill and approve the rest Of it. !
The hint To the convention on this subject /
vas, perhaps, taken from the back pay /
grab" slipped into regular appropria- /
tion bill i'll the closing hours Of the last /
congress.
Stringent provisions for the protection /
Of the State treasury ere made in this new /
in the heavy penalties ordered /
against corrupt or negligent officials but /
the particular feature of this new State /
charter, which was doubtless most heartily /
approved by the people, is the strong con- ,
trolling power which it gives to the State .
over its railways and canals, and over
corporations generally. In short, /
Pennsylvania, i'll this new charter, has /
achieved a great revolution of wholesome .
reforms in the administration of her local .
affairs, and particularly in throttling her /
corrupt Philadelphia and Harrisburg rings
of political gamesters, and in clipping the .
wings of her railway kings, so that they
cannot pass beyond the limits assigned
them. We congratulate the people of
Pennsylvania on the good work achieved
III their new constitution.