Litchfield enquirer., 1873-06-26
A AcoNsTITuTioNAl CONVENTION.

-~~~ ~A&SAs 4&4O VI uC oOCuL111C bly, is that while every convention can, by the constitution it adopts, limit for all time the action of all legislatures elected under that constitution, it cannot bind by it's action any subsequent convention of the people any more than one legislature can by its action bind subsequent legis- latures. Much less can a Legislature, the creature of one convention. limit the pow CTS of a popular convention, the equal of its creator. The plan of representation proposed by the New Haven refermers is also, as We have repeatedly pointed out, exceedingly objectionable. Cutting down all towns to single representative unless they have over 5000 inhabitants would practically be more unfair arrangement than the present oHe.a9 In this county, with the single exception of Plymouth, the larger towns have two representatives; the smaller, one. A change that would bring down LitchReld, New Milford, Sal is bury, Winchester, and, New Hartford, with population exceeding 5000 each, to an equality with Warren, | Morris, Bridgewater and Bethlehem, whose com bined population barely reaches 5000, is maifestly change for the worse. Eff teen towns in this county now have two representatives apiece, averaging one rep
 representative to each 1,142 inhabitants.
 Nine towns (excluding Plymouth which is plainly entitled to two representatives) have but one representative each, averaging one representative to each l,146 inhabi-
 tants. The present apportionment, there fore, is much fairer for Litchfeld county,
 at least, than the one proposed by the Con- stitutional Reformers. 9 a4Hs' -l
 These manifestly weak points in the plan of the Refermers have been shrewdly attacked of late by the Courant; and, al- though our most prominent Republicans,
 Gen. Hawley among them, and apparent . ly all the Democrats, are committed to the convention, there has developed a strong opposition to the measure in the legislature. Republicans, there, seem to be splitting about on the old Harrison Haven line of cleavage, while the Democ- racy of the smaller towns are shrinking back from the position taken by their State convention in favor of reform. y
 But while we cannot but consider the proposed plan of representative reform miserably insufficient, the Courant coun- ter-proposition of Constitutional Com mission is worse-it is simply an evasion.
 The three chief evils of our present sys- tenn are generally reckoned to be the three following: too frequent elections and too frequent sessions of the legislature, held,
 moreover, at inconvenient seasons of the year; appointments of judges and other important officials by the legislature in stead by the executive or the people as in other states; the absence from our con- stitution of any constitutional check on special legislation. Now an amendment changing times of elections and legislative sessions does not need to go through a commission. It is easily perfected by any legislature disposed to inaugurate such a reform. The difficulty with the other and and more important subjects of reform. would lie in the fact that they pro- pose to curtail the power of legislatures. Yet they would have to pass two legisla- lures, the last by two thirds vote, be- fore they could reach the people. With out denying the patriotism of our repre- sentatives, it is safe to conclude that there is no such fervor of reform in the average Connecticut General Assembly as would
 lead lead them to pass Self Denying Or- dinances after the manner of the Long Parliament and the French Constituent Assembly. A body that repudiates a cal endar of business deslgned to prevent
 nasty Legislation is not likely to favor so inconvenient check on their tenden- cies to irregularity as Q stringent amend ment forbidding special legislation :.
 Stin less is legislature likely to cut of it's favorite prerogative of appointing all judges, commissioners, and impor- tant state officials. Our bench is depre- ciating, year by year, and our boards are nearly worthless, because their appoint
 ments are made the subject of barter, if not of sale, by legislators. The most im- portant of our state commissions is probably the board of railroad commis- sioners. Yet, in last Wednesday nights Democratic caucus, the nomination as railroad commissioner was grayely claim ed for a Mr. Mott because he had carried town in Fairfield county for the Democ- racy at the last election. ]. On this claim
 alone MT. Mott was given the second place in the list of competitors for an off, fee that needs the highest talent of it's
 special kind the State can afford! The
 history of Connections legislation is full
 of instances of similar kind affording ample proof of the strong statement made
 by the late MT. Mill Tn his masterly "Con-
 alterations on Representative Govern
 ment :'' --.. .[.'f ..s.g t.. Numerous bodies never regard special I qualifications at all. Unless c man is fit for the gallows, he is thought to be about as fit as other people for almost anything for which he can offer himself as. a candi- date. When appointments made by a public body are not decided, as they al-
 most always are, hy party connexion or private jobbing, man is appointed eith-
 CT because he has reputation, often quite undeserved, for general ability, or
 frequently for no better reason than that
 he is personally popular. :. sr The Sentinel gives Mir. Holmes, bank
 commissioner, as it's authority for the
 statement that MT. Turren claimed the
 large balance of SC, 900 which MT. H. found
 belonged to the Savings Bank. If we are
 correctly informed the trustees of that