Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-02-05

?. Doubling the former number o.
each House (26 Senators increased Il
81, and so House to 1881, thereby max
ing it more difficult for the lobby Il
manipulate the body, and requiring {
majority CT all the members elect t
each House to pass a bill, and not {
majority OF a quorum, as formerly
and two thirds of all to pass an emer
gency bill.
8. Requiring every bill to be read
on three different days, and be print
ed with all its amendments, before
the vote is taken on the final passage
(the second reading might be by title
which is the time the bill should be-
printed and laid on the desks of mem.
bers), and prohibiting any.act to en-
brace more than one subject, and that
to be expressed in the title.
These provisions are of the first i'm
pOrtanee as safeguards against omni.
bus legislation, 1. G., passing bills by
their titles, in packages, as was for
merly the practice in this State. They
prevent all kinds of schemes from be-
ing covered up under false and decep.
tive titles, and defeat the old trick Of
rushing through anything and every.
thing in the closing hours of a session,
imprinted, undiseussed, and unknown
to even a majority of members. Bills
passed in that way find parallel in
ballot box stuffing.
4. Prohibiting members from re-
eeiving any civil appointment within
the State from the Governor, Govern
or and Senate, or General Assembly,
during the term for which they are
elected forbidding them from being
interested in any contract with the
State or county, or for a year afteI
their election. See Section 15, Aegls-
lative Article. This is valuable pro
vision. &
5. 1 would commend very highly
Sections Is to 20, inclusive, of same
Article, as they cover the whole sub
ject of appropriations and expendi-
lures, enforce fair and open dealing in
voting away taxes, and contain essen
tial limitations and restrictions on the
liberality of Legislative bodies in
spending other peoples money.
6. The Legislative oath of office and
the penalty for its violation exercise 8
most salutary influence in keeping
members out of the way of temptation
and in the path of purity. You will
find certain class of men, however
who will strenuously oppose its adop-
ton, and give every imaginable rea-
son against it except the real one.
had a sharp fight with this class Of
persons before getting the iron clad
oath incorporated into our Constiu-
tion; but they will never obtain the
consent of the people to abolish il
while the present Constitution lasts.
Z. Section q, Article 4, cuts off al
perqUisites, emoluments and extra al
iowances, and specifies the exact
amount to be allowed for stationery
&c. Members should be docked fol
absent time. This our Constitution
falls TO do, and already the evil of alb
senteeism has manifested itself to 8
shameful degree. Scores of member:
were absent more than half the time
but regularly drew full pay, which
engendered discomfort and i'll feeling
among the industrious members. For.
merly our Legislature received q GER
tain compensation for the first forty
two days Of the session, and one dol
lar perday thereafter. Conseqaently
they could not be kept in session
longer than the forty-two days. This
Limitation as to time is omitted in the
new Constitution. The members are
paid five dollars per diem and mileage.
1 think it would be better to pay them
a fixed salary of-say one thousand
dollars per annuTn, and deduct, say
five dollars per day for all absent time
from the General Assembly when that
body is in session. When the Legis-
lature is limited to a certain number
of days, a great deal of raw, imma-
ture and bad legislation is sure to be
crowded through in the closing days
of the session.
s. We elect our Senators for four
years and the House for two. These
terms are short enough. By electing
the House every year, you always
have a green, inexperienced body, led
by the nose BY q few crafty old mem
bers, and half a session is exhausted
before the House knows the rules and
modes of procedure. We found that
at the second session new members
were far better prepared and qualified
for their duties than at the first ses-
sion Of their tenn.
8, l would commend to favor the
short article on education, and espe-
ciaIly the third and fourth sections !;
The one fofbidding the appropriation
Of taxes for sectarian schools and
and the other prohibiting
teachers from being interested in the
sale of school books and furniture.
10. There are some very important
provisions in the Revenue Art. TX.
zee Sections 6, s, 8. 10, IL, but espe-
;ially u. This last mentioned section
that 'fOrbidding muni-
;ipal subscriptions to railroads and
private corporations, willsave Illinois
rom being mortgaged almost into
in aid of miscellaneous
cheme5 for the enrichment of indi-
7iduals at the expense of tile masses.
IL. Article y. contains some exceed
ngly valuable provisions. refer to
hose which substitute paid salaries
or fees and perquisites, which always
cad to corTnpdonl and imposition.
md make the chief Rdministra-
i've ofices fostering sores upon.
he body polite, not only in the
gambling to get them, but in
heir dishonest management The
lew system works admirably, and
,ives great satisfaction to the people,
We no longer have offices in this
county yielding thirty to sixty thou
and dollars per annum for the ward
)ummers and rum-hole demagOgues
o fight and cheat over and pool
Imong them, and great are the Ia
thereat. The new Con-
is called a tyrannical failure
" them. Be sure that your commits
ion substitutes fixed or definite sala-
les for all officers, and conveys the
ees into the treasury.
1 strongly commend the article on
and that On railroads to
Tour consideration. But / fear the
ailroad and corporation influences are
90 great and overshadowihg in your
State for their adoption. The mode
# electing directors of corporations,
,royided in Section 8, Article XI.,
vas inserted for the protection of the
lights of minOrities against the mis-
conduct of majorities. Rings now
ule everything and rob every body,
md any measure that will help to
protect the interests of individuals, or
he weak against the strong, should
'e fayorably considered by the Just
There is no fear of de-
,riving the strong of their rights. II
There is nothing in the Judiciary
Act of our Constitution which you
would care about adopting. 1 do not
commend the elective feature as ap-
'lied to the Supreme Court. There is
in the idea Of pot
aucus nominating Supreme Court
Judges which the rant OF demagOgues
bout the people choosing the judicia-
v does not reconcile me 20, as / know