The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1873-10-23
Proposed Constitutional Amend
meut in Kansas.

The legislature OF Kansas, 1T 1ls scs-
sion last winter. decided TO submit the
voters Of the state an amendment to
the constitution for their adoption or
rejection ut the November election.
The proposed amendment provides
that the. number of representatives
shall never exceed one hundred and
twenty-five, and the number of sena-
tors shall never exceed forty. AS the
constitution now stands, the number
of representatives cannot exceed one
hundred; and the number of senators
cannot exceed thirty-threc.
This proposed amendment was dis
cussed very fully at the time of passage
by the legislature, and its submission
to the voters OF the state was earnestly
urged by the new counties as an act OF
simple justice to them. 1t is now being
discussed by the press OF the state and
the sentiments seem very far from be-
ing unanimous either way. Several
leading papers, among them the Tope-
ka Comm onrealth, have taken strong
grounds against it and urge its rejec-
ton by the electors. We are inclined
TO consider it matter Of expediency
and justice and hope to see it ratified
at the November election. Kansas is
rapidly settling up, and more or less
new counties are being organized every
year. 1t is but just and proper that
the wants and needs of these new
counties should be made known in the
legislature of the state, and in no man.
ner can it be properly done except by
having representatives from every
county, who are familiar with the
wishes of their constituents and will
Justly represent them at Topeka. The
daring and hardy pioneers who 90 out
and open up these new counties on the
frontier deserve representation as
much as the more fortunately situated
citizens of older and more prosperous
sections of the state.
The main objection urged against
the proposed amendment is that it will
render the legislative body too large
for efficient work, and besides it will
be more susceptible to corrupt infuen-
ces. We do not see how this argument
can hold good; for if it be actually the
case that large legislative bodies are
more corrupt than small ones. then the
advocates Of this theory should at once
move to reduce the present number.
The proposed increase is less than
twenty-five per cent. of the present
number, and certainly this could make
no very material difference in the man
ncr indicated. II men are naturally i'll
clined to '.sell out" they will be very
apt ~ ito II &c .,rrart""isy P'v-vn'r /,
and whether there be a large or small
body Of them will make no difference
whatever in this respect. The only
way to prevent corruption i'll legisla-
tive bodies is to elect men who cannot
be corrupted. All the nicely spun
theories about large bodies being more
corrupt than smaller ones are simply
nonsense.
We notice that most of the OppOsi-
ton to the proposed amendment comes
from the larger cities, which now hold
the balance of power, and generally
manage to control legislation in their
own interest. This accounts for the
milk in their cocOanuts, and is the rea-
son why they regard the measure un-
favorablv. And here is were the great
danger of corruption lies. II is motor
ious that large cities usually send a
poorer class of members to the legisla-
turc than any other sections: and they
are. As n usual thing. more easily cor
ruptcd. They are frequently profess
sional politicians. and they go to the
legislature As matte" of business, and
for the express purpose Of making mo-
ney. The rural regions are the great
bulwark of liberty to any state, and
the more country members a legisla-
ture has the better it will be for the
state. They are the leven that pre-
serves the morality of the lcgislativ .
bodies. and but for them there woul d
be much more corruption than there
now is. II is the demoralizing centra
lization of power in few hands that
the state has to fear, and not its equit
able distribution among farmers and
country members. We had rather
trust legislature composed of a hun
drcd farmers than one composed of
twenty-five professional politicians
from large cities.-h. C. Times.