New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-28
THE PENNSYLVANIA REFORM CONsTITU-
TION,

AS Louisiana has, upon the testimony
of her citizens, become a byword fol-
political corruption, we have turned to
the reform constitution of the Keystone
State to learn how we may escape this re-
proach among States. Pennsylvania is
renowned for the sturdy honesty of her
Dutch farmers and tie straightforward
dealing Of her Quaker merchants. It WAS
reasonable, therefore, to have expected
that very little change would be necessary,
except, perhaps, oiling the solid machin-
cry or stopping few small leaks that had
sprung by the working of the vessel on
her long and steady voyage.
We are astonished at the document laid
before US. A constitution? No, it is a
code Of fundamental laws. It contains
seventeen articles, with nearly two hum
dred sections. 1t is devoted to correct
frauds in elections, corruption and bribery
among legislators, abuses by railroads
and other public corporations. &
1t limits the power of taxation and in
debtedness by the Legislature of the
State, and by municipal authorities. It
even throws around the judicial Office
certain guarantees of responsibility. The
constitution ternina tes with schedule
as long as the tail of a kite and it even
enacts by ordinance certain restrictions
upon the exercise Of suffrage in the city
of Philadelphia, to secure, as Is alleged,
fair vote on the constitution itself. We
learn from the contemporaneou testimony
by the Philadelphia press that the ''ring"
Of robbers obtained an injunction against
this last ordinance as imperative until the
adoption of the constitution by the people
The constitution was, however, carried by
. popular majority of two hundred thou
sand, thus showing that the true men of
Pennsylvania have bound the thieves, and
proving at the same time an enormous
amount of corruption, that required
prohibition by fundamental law.
We will not at this time review this
very excellent instrument, but content
ourselves with commencing it's examina-
hon to our own reformers. It shows that
The abuses complained of here are such as
communities pretending to the highest
political morality have endured until they
have been compelled to seek relief by i'm
prisoning Tweed and mailing up the doors
Of the Pennsylvania treasury AS cor
'uption is of no particular party, but may
creep into all parties, SO it is of no cline
81 latitude, but may prevail in the frigid |
IS well as the torrid or temperate zones.
We are especially, however, impressed |
With the length and minuteness of the |
Penn sylvania reform constitution. The
ederal constitution was short and gen.
raj in its terms, so much SO that |
bill of rights was subsequently adopted.
That document shows that the spirit of
public action was then to restrict itself |
within the moral intent of the law. Hence,
mere decalogue Of canons forbidding
respass on reserved right was alone nee
ssary. 1t would seem the race of repre-
entGtive men is now actuated by an
pposite motive. 1t is, apparently, to
eek how they can overreach their constit-
ents and pass without detection the bar
iers erected to restrain them. Hence the
makers of fundamental law are called to
aise their barriers higher and define
nth rigor and under penalties, the limits
'ithin which the servants of the people
hay bind the people by their acts.