The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-07-16

his election be was very dishonest and
| corrupt. The Supreme Court, being the
tribunal to expound the law of last re-
sort, and therefore Of more Importance
than any other department OF the Govern
ment, It would appear TO me that the safe
ty of the public interest would be better
secured by having the election Of Judge
remain as at present, rather than to ex-
tend the term of service to ten years. If
a man has been once elected, and has served
five years honestly and faithfully, the peo-
pie will be inclined to repose confidence IN
him and re-elect him for second term.
II, on the contrary, his first service shows
that he is incompetent or corrupt and un-
mt for the place, the people ought TO Sc
cure by this Constitution the right TO kick
him out. 1t is idlefo the members of the
Convention, care not what their ability
may be, to tell me there is safety and de-
mocracy in their proposition to make the
service ten years. That would be doub-
| ling the term for which the Judges are
elected under the present Constitution. 1t
would be bat step further, when an
other Convention shall be called, 70 double
the term and make it twenty years. If
you do that, you may IS well adopt at
once the principle of life tenure, and call
thai democratic.
ELECTIONS AGAIN. .-
Comparing one part of the Constitution
with others, it will be found very IN
congruous, Illogical and inconsistent pro-
duction. In one article it Is provided that
each voter IN Hamilton county may vote
for one man for Representative ten times.
In the election, under the judicial article
for Supreme Judges, it is provided that
"no elector shall vote for more than three
candidates, although there are five Judges
to be elected" have discovered no reas-
on why every elector is not entitled n
vote once for each Office TO be filled. If
that right be not extended to him, then
to that extent he has no agency, direct or
remote, in managing the affairs of his gov
eminent. If this be democracy l fail to
see it.
Considering the judicial article, it may
be well to look at the injustice of the ap-
portinment. As delegate, representing
Butler county, 1 certainly have no ground
of complaint on this score. But, while l
entered that Convention to represent i'm
mediately the interests of Butler county,
did so with firm resolve to give my
| feeble aid for such Constitution as would
| be characterized by equal Justice TO the
people of all portions Of the State, and as
would rebound to the welfare of posterity.
Mr.. Adair, the delegate from Carroll coun-
| ty, has, in a recent publication, very for
chilly presented the injustice of the Judicial
apportionment adopt his statement,
because it tersely and forcibly presents the
injustice. He says:
ain the judicial apportionment the sub
| division composed Of the counties of Cler-
mont, Adams and Brown one Judge, with
a population of So, $40, actually engaged
in court 100 days; Butler and Preble
counties, two Judges, with population of
only 61,72l, actually engaged in court
only 1S2 days; the counties Of Carroll,
Harrison and Belmont, one Judge, with a
population of p, ,S87, actually engaged IN
court l73 days, and would require Judge,
| by the usual route of travel, e.lourth of
his time getting from one county 10 the
other to hold his four terms of court each
year; and Stark county, one Judge, with
a population of so, sos, actually in court
ITO days, while to have put Carroll with
Stark, where, for every reason so men
toned and admitted by nine-tenths of the
delegates of the Convention, she belongs.
the population and business would be
about equal. Again the counties of Mer-
GER, Van Vert, Allen and Auglaize, one
Judge, with a population of 1913, and
the days actually engaged in court l54;
and the county of Lucas, two Judges,
with population of only 1922, with
the time actually engaged in court only
l40 days, and so on with the different ap-
Portionnsnts Of count7es and districts hav-
Ing less population and less business have
double the Judicial force.
Such an apportionment can scarcely be
| said to be either Democratic, Republican
or Just.
O. 1t is stated in the newspapers that
many will support the proposed Constitu-
ton because it contains several good
things" "Will you be kind enough to
indicate what some of those "good things
are
A. 1 venture the assertion, without the
fear of successful contradiction, that my
friend Ewing, the Committee whose ad-
dress accompanies the proposed Constitu-
tion. and all who signed it, were they
provided each with a general search-war-
rant, cannot find one single good thing"
proposed in the amendments that can not
be accomplished by ordinary legislation
under the present Constitution. Take the
seventh article on Public Institutions, for
instance. had the honor of being the
Chairman of that Committee which
brought in the first report that was made
to the Convention. The Committee. whose
address accompanies the Constitution, in
form the people that 1--WE have made pro-
visions for the incurable insane" The
present Constitution expressly provides
for institutions for the benefit Of insane
generally, and it is reasonable to suppose
that one who is il1eltrably insane is in
sane. The lawyers will certainly admit
| that cnch O onrcOp ia 9,siean fuoSp 1naann
Hence, l cannot see wherein the addition
of that adjective is any Improvement to
| the old Constitution, though others may
cali it one of the good things"
Again, the amendment of this article
provides that there shall be house OF
discipline as punitive and reformatorY
| Institution. Such provision may be re-
garded as highly important, but under the
present Constitution the Legislature have
full power to create it. They may make
house of discipline and as many more
| punitive or benevolent institutions as in
their discretion they may dsem proper.
In view Of the vast annual expenditure
of the peoples money upon the benevo'
lent institutions of the State, amounting
to 81 500, 900, or more than three-fourths
of the whole General Revenue Fund, the
! Committee reported a section providing
that they should all be placed under the
management Of three Commissioners. to
be elected by the people, instead of being
managed, as they now are, by some sixty
different Directors. However, the Con-
vention, on the motion of General Ewing,
who desired that the Governor should
have the appointment of the Commission
ers, instead Of the people. it was stricken
out. This may have been more Demo-
cratic, according to his teaching. but it IS
not according to mine. There Is certainly
no ''good thing" in this article that may
not be accomplished at any time under the
old Constitution.
CHEAPER GOVERNMENT.
1t has been stated that the new Consti-
tuition will give US cheaper Government,
because, forsooth, it provides fewer gene
raj electlons' The fact that fewer general
or State elections are provided is no proof
of any Democratic or Republican feature,
because, as have already said, the further
you remove from the people their control
over their public servants, the further you
60 in the direction of Imperialism, and
away from the democratic idea. Besides,
| this is a very superficial argument, which