The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-04-27
NO. 3S
Eew HampahIre Teaches Texas Les
son. How Ghey rus HoNDs and COuO-
ties aud Lee Le-isiaIures--LocaI LIbc -.
CoNcoRn. \. H.. Anril S. 50.

Ties aud LIE -1slatures--L Local. Lido tls
CONCORD, n. H., April s, 1876.
Pennsylvania has its third constitution,
and begins already to talk of amending that,
but up here among the granite hills laws
and customs are almost as hard to fuse and
traSstorm as the rocks, and the people are
still living under the organic law adopted
In 1890. 1t may interest your readers TO
learn some of the peculiarities and eccen-
tricities of State and local government
where matters have gone on without change
for nearly century. The first curiosity
that strikes a Pennsylvanian here is the in
dependent power OF the town. Each town
is little democracy, and the Stale resem-
bles loose federative republic like the old
league of the Swiss cantons. As the town
enjoys a certain sovereignty, il must, OF
course, have q representative in the general
court, as the Legislature is called. The
basis of representation is one hundred and
ifty voters; but, practically, every town
that is inhabited sends representative. If
there are n dozen families living in it there
is usually no trouble in getting special act
passed chasing it with towns electing one
member of the House. II then becomes II
''classed town." ano, by an odd Guirk OF
law, can hold its election at any time within
two weeks before the general election.
Thus Harris Location, town with fourteen
voters, chose representative last Monday,
while the regular election day was Tuesday.
There is a town composed of the Isle OF
Shoals. where nobody lives except the land
lord of watering-place hotel and few
servants. Every March the landlord calls
his three or four male assistants together in
the deserted bar-room, and they 60 through
- H.W..
A TOWN MEETING.
Space would faIl me to tell half the oddi-
ties of election customs. They call an cleo
ton a "town meeting" and that's what il
really is, for the whole town turns out in
the morning and gathers in the town hall.
At nine O'clock the three seectmen take
the platform, and announce that the elec-
tion of n moderator is in order Each party
makes a nomination, the Democrats
going on one side OF tue hall and the Repub-
licans on the o her to be counted. Either
side, if dissatisfied, can demand ballot,
and sometimes the whole forenoon is CON
sumed In getting organized. When they
get q moderator they put it to vote how
long the polls shall be kept open, Some
times they close the polls for Iepr, sentative:
at one or two O'clock, aud keep on voting
for the general ticket until sX. Usually
all voting in the country towns ceases at
three, but there is nothing to prevent keep
ing the boxes open until midnight, and tins
is occasionally done in the cities. Ii there
are three candidates foi representative,
and neither gets an absolute majority there
is a second ballot had and often third; or
if night comes on, and the farmers want to
go home to milk, they postpone the business
until next day.. The town, being a pc t
sovereignty in such matters. eau do as II
pleases. r,
HOW THEY GET VOTERS.
AS | SAID before, Que huHdred and ffty
voters is the basis of representation, but foT
every three hundred 'ratable polls'' town
sends an extra member to the Legislature.
Now ''ratabe poll" is man over twenty
one found living in the town a week after
election, whether voter or not. The
selectmen 60 around and make list, and
| of course, put on every body who by any
stretch of construction can be deemed q
resident. Two years ago a gang of wood
choppers worked at cutting ties for rail
road in a town having only fifteen voters.
They were all rated, and at the next elec
| ton, although not man of them stayed
more than three or four weeks, that towr
sent three representatives to Concord.
THE GENERAL COURT.
The New Hampshire general court is verl
| heavy at the bottom aud exceedingly ligh
at the top. In the House there are nearly
four hundred members; in the Senate onil
twelve. The pay of the members is thre
dollars per day, and if the session lasts owe
six weeks the whole State gets mad abou
the expense. In the great hall where tn
House meets there is no carpet, and tn
furniture reminds one of country school
house. The desks are of unpainted wood
are only eighteen inches wide, and at eacl
sit six members in narrow wooden chair
fastened TO the floor by iron standards Th
seats of the officers are painted
chairs, costing about fifty cents apiece. o.
the back of each is pasted printed labe
with the title of the official tn whom rh,
chair belongs. For economy's sake tn
Senate meets in the room occupied at otie
times 10y the supreme court. aa.l. I'D
THE EXECUTIVE.
A New Hampshire Governor gets tn
princely salary of $1,000 a year. There j
a queer appendage to his ofiice--a counei
of five members, whose business 1t is T.
hold on to his coat-tails whenever he trie
to do any thing of his own motion. Nearl
all executive acts must be approved by
majority of the council. Here is relic o
the old dread Of arbitrary power. IL Is no
unique in New England. In the Swiss re
public the executive power is lodged wit
a council, which chooses one of its mem
bers president Perhaps it would be goo
thing il we could limit the one-man powe
at Washington in some tuch way. A
judicial officers here are appointed by To
governor and council--even justices of tn
peace, who are as numerous as frogs i
EgyDt Sheriffs are made in the same way
because they are considered as parts Of th
executive machine. With the exception
governor and railroad commissioner, Al
State officers are chosen by the Legislature
Nobody can be removed from Office excep
on resolution of both houses, approved b
the governor and council Official tenure
in most cases, lasts five years, but Judge
are in for life. The only way to get nd q
them is to abolish their court and create
new one with new name Every year Ill
term of all elective officers comes TO an emo
A RELIC OF THE PAST.
must not forget IN this brief mention :
the curiosities of government here the :,
retained. The constitution prescribs
among the qualifications for holding oiliC
belief in the Protestant religion. Pract
cally, this is a dead letter, for almost ever
year there are Catholics in the House, bu
; so welded are the people 10 old notion
that il the question OF striking out TIA
musty relic Of bigotry were 20 be vote
upon to-day it would probably be vote
down.
senator sherman's sIIvery speech.
u Senator Sherman diseusses tho reiatt q