The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-06-25
The Proposed Constitution.
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE.

To the People Of Ohio:
The undersigned, in obedience t.
the order of the Constitutional Con.
vention, submit for your considera-
ton a statement of the more materi
al amendments of the organic law ot
the State proposed in the new Con
stitution. We have sought to stats
only the substance of the changes
without giving at large the reason:
which commend them.
ARTICLE 1.-THE BILL OF RIGHTS.
Except in sections five, eight and
ten, this Article is substantially un.
changed. These sections are 81
amended that in suits for less thar
one hundred dollars the jury need not
consist of more than six persons; the
writ of hGbeds CORPUS can be suspend.
ed only in such manner as shall bt
prescribed by law; and suits cannot
be brought by publication unless the
Court shall be satisfied that the resi-.
dence and post-office address Of the
party cannot be found, so that he
shall have actual notice.
ARTICLE 1.-THE LEGISLATURE.
The amendments proposed in this
Article will have most decided eff.
feet upon the future legislation of the
State.
l. Biennial Elections in NoUem6er.
AS no State officer is elected for term
less than two years, it was deter
mined, to save the great expense and
inconvenience OF annual elections,
that the election of all State, county
and legislative officers be held bien-
nially, on the Tuesday after the first
Monday in November, being the day
fixed for the election of President,
and, by o late law of the United
States, for the election of members OF
Congress after this year.
2. Legislative Purity. 1t is prOvi-
ded in section four that no person in
terested in contract or unadjusted
claim against the State shall hold q
seat in the General Assembly, lest by
considerations of personal profit he be
influenced to do public wrong.
3. Per Diem abolished. The cost
of legislative session, other than
the compensation of members, is
large, its magnitude depending on its
duration. Absenteeism, resulting
from railroad facilities and per diem
payment, has often heretofore result
ed in protracting the sessions. 1t is
therefore provided (Sec. 49, that
members shall be compensated only
by a fixed annual salary.
4. Annual Sessions. Biennial ses-
sions of the General Assembly, as
provided in the Constitution of 1851,
have not been observed. The neces-
sity for annual sessions in a State of
such vast wealth, business and pOpu-
lation as Ohio, having been demon
strated by experience, return to
that system is provided. (Sec. 2S.
3. The Veto. Hasty, inconsiderate,
and sometimes partisan legislation is
incident to an unrestrained legislative
body and where large sums are to
be expended, and the purposes OF mo-
nopolies and powerful corporations to
be promoted, its deliberations are not
always free from the influence of the
/ lobby. To moro effectual1y guard
against these abuses, the Convention,
after much discussion, concluded to
follow the example of nearly all the
other States, and clothe the Governor
with a qualified veto. (Sec. 49, The
difference between three-fifths, re-
over a veto, and the mere majority,
which law must obtain in any case,
is only ten in the House of RepTesen-
tatives, and four in the Senate. 1t
was thought that ten days of delibeTa-
ton by the Governor, free from ex-
citement and influences which some
times control popular bodies, might
often prevent great mischief. -
6. appropriation Bills. A change
of the greatest Importance is the pro-
posed limitation on the passage of APP
preparation hills. Under the existing
Constitution, the general appropria-
ton bill, like the general appropria.
tiOn bill in Congress, mas been made
the vehicle for the grossest pecula-
tions in the public funds. Absentee
ism often reduces the attendance to q
mere quorum. A bare majority of
this quorum can incorporate in the
general appropriation bill, by amend
ment or rider, any scheme for depict
ing the treasury. On the final pas
sage of the bill, it must be voted on as
an entirety and unless it receive the
vote of majority of all the members
elected to each house it is lost. APP
preparations necessary to carry on the
government are thus coupled with.
and made to abide the fate OF, schemes
of mere peculation and plunder.
Members are compelled, against their
convictions, to vote for the bill includ-
ing these obnoxious items, or suffer q
stoppage of the wheels of government.
To prevent this is the purpose of the
new provisions in sections twenty
three and twenty-five. Each item of
| appropriation must stand on its own
merits and be voted on separately, by
yeas and nays, on the demand of any
member. If it fail TO receive the con-
stitutiOnal majority, it is to be striek-
en- out. Thus each member is made
personally responsible to his consti-
tuents for the vote he may cast. He
can no longer have the pretense that
unless he vote for the bill, including
the obnoxions item, it must fail, and
the government suspend for want of
funds.
Another check and safeguard is the
power vested in the Governor to
veto any item in the appropriation
bill, and approve the residue. 1t is
believed that these provisions will re-
suit in an annual saving to the trea s.
ury OF many thousands of dollars.
ARTICLE uI.-THE EXECUTIVE.
The only changes of any impor-
tance in this Article are in the first,
fourteenth and fifteenth sections.
The time of electing the State Of
ficers is changed from October to
November, biennially, for the reason
already explained under the forego-
ing article. Section fourteen requires
the General Assembly to provide by
law for the case of vacancy occurring g
at the same time in the office of Gov
ernor and Lieutenant Governor. Un-
der the existing Constitution, an &C
tual allegiance of the Executive is by
no means an unlikely event. s.the
existing power of the Lieutenant
Governor to "yote when the Senate
is equally divided" has become a sub.
iect of contention, it is so modified
by section fifteen as to remove any
fair ground for jealousy of his control
hereafter.
ARTICLE Iv-OUR COURTS.
Chief among the purposes for which
the Convention was called was the
reorganization of the Judiciary. The
accumulation of judicial business had
bloekaded the courts. From one to
two years was required to reach the
hearing of a cause in the Common
Pleas, aud from five to seven years in
reaching an end in the Supreme
Court. This was a virtual denial OF
justice, often working the bankruptcy
of litigants even when successful.
Its causes were obvious. The pratice
of second trials duplicated the labors
of the Common Pleas Judges. The
time which ought to have been de-
voted to that Court was diminished
by their withdrawal from one to
three months in each yesr to review
their own decisions in the District
Court; while the few days or hours
allotted to this Court in each county
rendered its decisions a judicial farce,
and caused it to fall into popular con-
tempt. From general want Of con-
fidence in this Court, large proper
T ton of the causes have found theiI
way to the Supreme Court, and thus
have overwhelmed it also.
To mature q system that viii secure
stability, learning and efficiency in
the cofIrfs. command public conf.