The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-08-01
T,be Tr0n-Cgad oath.
PEFCH OF HON. J. S. BLACK IN THE con-
sTITUTIONAL CONVENTION:
The following section was proposed

aS an amenQU UneuJ 70 INC cOilSIlGutiOH I
of PENNSYLVANIA, June %, 1878:
sec ?. Within twenty days after the ad- /
iournmeut OF the general assembly sine die, I
every member of the house of representa-
lives and every senator whose term will ex-
nire at the next general election, shall take
iud subscribe before some officer qualified
to administer oaths, the following oath or
| do solemnly swear Cor affirm that, rs
member of the general assembly, have
and obeyed the constitution OF
this commonwealth to the best of my knowl-
edge and ability. / have not knowingly lis
tened to corrupt private solicitation from IN
terested parties or their agents, nor have
received any gift, or promise OF Il gltt, from
any such parties or from any candidate. l
have not voted or spoken on any matter IN
which had, or expected to have, private
interest. l have not done, or willingly per
mitted to be done, any act which would
make me guilty of bribery. have observed
the order OF legislation as prescribed by the
and L have not knowingly
voted or spoken for any law, bill or resoiu-
ton, which l knew, or believed to be; lncon-
sistant herewith.
THE foregoing oath or affirmation shall be
filed in the office of the prothonotary OF the
county in which the senator or representa-
tive resides and if any such senator or
representative shall fail to take ana hie SAID
oath or affirmation within the time pre-
scribcd (unless unavoidably prevented) he
shall lie forever afterwards disqualified from
holding any Office of trust or profit within
this commonwealth and if in taking such
oath or affirmation it shall appear that he
has knowingly sworn or affirmed falsely, he
shall be deemed guilty Of perjury and also
disqualified as aforesaid.
This section being under discussion,
Judge Black spoke as follows:
Mr.. PRESIDENT 1 will not make any
in, Of
been thoroughly discussed already. Every
member of the house has made up his mind
long ago, l do not believe that the opinions
or sentiments OF any memb Der can he changed
now. l judge others by myself. viii not
surrender my convictions, and l do not eX-
pect any other member to surrender his.
This is a body which knows its own mind
and cannot he blown about by every wind
of doctrine. | therefore say to those who
differ from me, live on in your faith, but
The whole subject is indeed too simple for
argument. The fact cannot be questioned
that our legislature is and has been utterly
corrupt. For years the three houses Count
ing the lobby as a hOuse) have been welter
ing together in one disgusting mass Of moral
putrefaction. No man dares to deny this
The evidence of it is conclusive, irresistible
aud UvetN helmipE. 1t is admitted by every
man on this floor except three or four who
have made feeble and futile attempts to
deny it. One Of the most distinguished
gentleman il this bOdy-he who won his
fame as chief magistrate Of the common
wealth, and added to its lustre by his high
career as a diplonat-while he tleprecates
this measure of prevention, not only admits
our legislation to be corrupt, but adds his
testimony that the great office of United
States senator is bought and sold, as well as
corporate franchises and appropriation bills.
Shame shame forever to the man who is
willing toe perpetuate this infamy The
honest and respectable portion of our people
VIII not endure it with patience, If tfe can
help it we will not have the hoofs of these
beasts on our uecks any longer.
Large handed robbers your graves masters
And Pill ill by law"
If you would rot have this degrading
slavery fastened forever on your children,
rise now throw off your shackles hew
them link from link. But you won't do it
it is not in you.
not only decline to argue the facts, but
l mean 10 be silent upon the principle and
policy of this anne Idment- II any man
thinks i good to live under government
which habItually betrays and plumbers him.
let him enjoy in peace the huge satisfaction
which Harrisburg Will afford him. Besides,
] cannot argue with MIN who believes leg
islative corruption is n thing to be defended
OF tolerated III a civilized and christian com
munity. If a gentleman wishes to debate
the morality of murder rape robbery
or horse stealing or arson, [ will endeavor
to prove that all these are very hurtful
crimes, and as gently as possible L will try
10 vindicate tile laws which forbid them.
But bribery and corruption in the making
of our laws is not open to discussion l will
not hear and l will not answer any defence
of it Which can be made-no, not if an angel
from heaven would make it,
But there is another question upon which
we divide. Snail we swear the members al
the legislature to execute their trust? Will
we make the oath iron clad? VIII we com
pei them to take it when they go in, and
when they come out, aud make it so plain
that II they commit any act of unfaithful.
ness they will see that it exposes them to al
the penalties of perjury in this world and
the next? VIII we so shape il that it must
speak to their COnsCience8 of penitentiary
and disfranchisemcnt as well as damnatior
to their eternal souls q? The convention will
probably answer this in tire negative
Among ""r fcst'tiTfSS TfoI
ifest opposition 10 any specific oath for leg
islators which might impede their inter
course with the base miscreauts Of the lobby
1t is not oathS in general that are objected
tO-we all admit that Judges. Jurors and wit
neSSeS ought to be sworn. We do not let an
arbitrator or road viewer undertake his
duty without putting him under oath. The
smallest private trust is guarded bv oaths
of great SClemnity. An executor, admins
TRAITOR or guardian must promise on oath be
tOrchaud that he Will be faithful, and after
wards he must swear again to every trans
executed his trust. All this is admitted Il
be necessary and proper. But when il
comes to swearing n member of the lcgisIa
ture that he has not betrayed or viii not be.
tray the high and sacred trust reposed in
hIln, then this convention raises its hands
and turns up the whites of its eyes in holy
horror. Whenever an oath is proposed thai
abrldges the corrupting influence of tho
lobby, then the piety Of some gentlemen
gets awtully shocked, and they have tender
st rllt iDli T9f
OF oaths. 1t is impossible eveu to pacify
them by assuring them that in their case We
VIII only ask them to affirm
II Is especially necessary that this oath
against receiving gifts shall be taken il
~ Wv o! the condition in wlTich your consti-
tntlon Is put by the thirteenth section of Tho
article on legislation There is n defi,,it;nr
oi bribery there which makes any gift o
money TO member of the legislature per
fectly innocent and legal unless Won car
Connect it with words or acts which exnres,
or imply contract between the silver and
the receiver that the money is paid for IN,
U N~.,fa 90. Il - -,r-s,-s =,