The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1875-10-14
Cousti,utiouaI amendments.


The Constitutional amendments to be voted
upon by the people of Kansas at the November
election, have, by this time, become familiar to
the people. They are relative to biennial ses
sions of the Legislature We presume they will
be adopted by large majority, as supposed
measure of reform and economy-the economy
supposed to lie in dispensing with one session OF
the Legislature every two years. This is the
only argument that can be urged in Its favor;
and this is not good one.
In the old States, the laws are almost perfect
ed; and legislation is needed only upon subjects
that may arise from time to time. There are no
new interests to be provided for, but most of the
legislation that was necessary dozen years ago,
answers the purpose now. Yet in most of the old
States that have adopted biennial sessions, tn e
system is found not to answer at all times, and
the cost of an extra session is found to be about
as great as if regular session were held the odd
years.
If such is the experience in the older States,
where all business has settled down to a regular
routine, how would it be in new and growing
State like Kansas with its constant changing
population and interests, its thriving communi-
ties springing up this year where an uninhabited
waste existed last year, and fresh wants and
new questions for legislation arising continually
Nothing here is perfected, but constant changes
are necessary. 1t has been said that most of the
men sent to the Legislature are incompetent,
and that the principal business done is the
peal by one Legislature of the laws enacted by
its predecessor. This is in great measure true,
and is one of the very strongest reasons why
there should be annual sessions For years to
come, the same class of men will be elected to the
Legislature, and each year a batch of laws will
be enacted that the public interest will require
should be amended or repealed in the shortest
time possible. With biebnial sessions this would
have to be deferred for two years, an extra
session called, which would be fully as expensive
as a regular session.
Two cases in point have occurred within the
past two years. An act was passed exempting
mortgages from taxation, by which hundreds of
thousands of dollars of money loaners were re-
relieved of their just share of taxes and the ad-
ditionai burden imposed upon the merchant, the
farmer, and the laboring class. 1t aroused pub
lie opinion to such degree, that the law was
repealed at the very next session, and the very
first thing after the meeting of the Legislature,
without any opposition worthy the name. A law
was also passed for the assessment and taxation
of railroads, under which the tax could not be
collected, and hundreds of thousands of dollars
more were thereby practically exempted The law
was partially remedied at the next session, but
still needs farther attention. With biennial ses-
sions, here would have been another nice mess.
From the two sources mentioned alone, the State
would have lost more money than the expenses
of dozen sessions of the Legislature would
amount to. And the worst of it would have
been, that the Governor would have refused to
call extra sessions for the purpose of remedying
the matters, for he was in favor of the laws in
question.
So it will be, for years to come. Bunglers will
be sent to the Legislature, and they will eontin-
ne to make serious blunders. By retaining an
nual sessions the people will not be at the mercy
of Governors in securing remedies. Governors
are not always right, and are frequently in the
interests of corporations and rings that procure
the passage of such laws as those above referred
to- They are by no means the only ones that
could be named, but we have referred to them
because they yet fresh in the recollection of
the people. Kansas still needs and will need,
for years to come, large Legislatures and annual
meetings. If biennial sessions are adopted, the
people will be sick of the experiment in a very
short time, The safest plan is to vote against
the amendments, and be done with it. The
friends of the scheme claim it only as an expert
s.sseRt, at best. Ths PeePls-Of Kansas cannot af-
ford many doubtful and costly experiments