The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-04-01
Political Reformation.
Editor Of the Home journal:

"Why is it," said John Randolph,
" that our system has the uniform ten
dency to bring forward low and little
men to the exclusion Of the more
worthy
This is a question which should be
attcnlively considered.
Plato, in his "Rcpublic,' divides
society into three cIasses,-tho philo'
sophie, the ambitious, and the covetous
and asserts that none but p%hiloso-
pliers should be the rulers of the peo-
pie. Philosophers, says he,--those
who have enlarged their minds by the
study Of the science OF government and
the other sciences, and who realize
that wisdom and virtue are insep.
a%rablc"--may be likcned to gold and
silver; but the other classes Of So
ciety are of baser metal, and may
be likened to iron, brass, etc. And
whenever the iron aud brass, he con.
linucs, get control of the government,
disorder, oppression and wrctchedncss
are the inevitable results.
The greatest statesmen of America
have realized the truth of Plato's OBJ
servat!on.
In the Convention Of 1857, the Con.
veution when framed the Federal Con-
stitution, Alexander Hamilton pointed
out one of the great defects Of Il
present system. The men Of superior
talent, said he, will, naturally enough,
seek u position in Congress on account
of the greater inducements which such
a position presents, ant the State Leg.
islatures will be composed, as n general
rule, Of inferior material. The result
will be that the State Governments will
form but q feeble barrier against the
aggression of the Federal Government
upon the Constitutional rights of the
people, and our system Will prove to
be a failure.
Jefferson was in Paris in 1887, and
therefore was not a member of the
Federal Convention Of that year, but
he saw the force of lIamiltou's remark,
and, as a remedy for the evil which was
apprehendcd, suggested that the States
themselves should devise a plan by
which to obtain wise and able men for
the administration Of TIE State gov
ernmcnts. The Legislature, said he,
should be rendered q desirable station
10y lcsseuing the number Of representa-.
tivcs, Men of high learning and
Abilities" he continues, care few in
every country; and by taking in those
who are not 50, the able part Of the
body have their hands tied by the un-
able"
Wayland, in his work on Political
Economy, takes n practical view OF
John Randolph's question. He rccog-
nizes the fact that men are governed by
self interest, and says that the kind OF
material of which the State Legislatures
will be composed will depend almost
entirely upon the amount OF q mem
ber's salary. Let the salary, says he,
be about the same as the wages of q
day-laborcr, and few if any but day
labercrs will contend for the prize.
Now, taking it for granted that every
patriot desires to give weight and in
ilucnce to the State Legislatures, how
shall we improve the condition Of at.
fairs in Tennessee?
An old friend of mine has suggested,
and | think the suggestion is a good
one, that it would be an excellent plan
to have but thirty. five members in our
Lcgislature-ten Senators and twenty
five rcprcscntatives-onc Senator to be
elected from each Congressional dis
trict, and one representative from each
of the present Senatorial districts. At
this time we have twenty-five Senators
and sevenly-tive representatives, each
of whom is entitled to four dollars a
day for his services. They can remain
in session but seventy.five days, at n
cost to the people of four hundred dol
lars q day, or thirty thousand dollars
for the whole term. Each member, it
will be seen, for the whole term gets
three hundred dollars. Now, suppose
the plan suggested by my worthy
be adopted, and the number
of members Of the Legislature be
reduced to thirty five. And suppose
that the salary of each member of the
Senate be fixed at $1,000. and the sala-
ry of each member of the House at
81 900 for the term. whether they lie.
main in session the whole term or not.
What would be the result of this ar.
rangemcnt? Some one may quickly
say that it would make each regular
session Of the Legislature cost the State
$4,000. which is $4,000 more than
the present cost. We admit it, but
what of it? "No country" it has
been said, was ever ruined by the
expense o: its legislation" But let us
see what we would get in return for
money. In the first place the
Legislature would be rendered q desi.
station for men Of ability, integri.
ty and patriotism. In the second place
would have n wise government. In
the third place our legislators would
be beyond the reach Of bribery and
corruption, and the beneficial influence
Of such Il disnitied body would be felt
all the ramiiications Of So
ciety, because it is natural for mankind
% initiate the example of those that
rule them. And in the fourth place,
Incompetent men would find it almost
f not absolutely impossible, in the new
order OF things, to &c. into the Legis-
ature.
With an amendment of the Constitu.
ion embracing the reform w have in
and another amendment pro.
libiting the Legislature, counties and