The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1877-06-08
THE OTHER SIDE. =

Is necessary for this short trespass
upon your columns and the atten
ton Of your numerous readers
With present lights before me | have
decided to vote against the conven-
ton. Ny first reason for this 49,
that think a convention unneces
sary.
If am correctly informed the
constitution can be altered or amend
ed to any desired extent by the leg
islature, and ce tainly if the present
organic Law is so evidently defective
as one would infer from the huency
and ease with which errors and pro-
posed chapges are set forth in the
papers, our Legislature is equal to
the task without mourning the I'M
necessary sexpense of separate
body. If this be true, the only ar
gument against this plan and for a
convention is the greater length Of
time necessary in the legislative pro-
cess. Nov it seems to me that if
we have lived and prospered during
the last eventful nine years under
the present constitution we may re-
main anob year with its many
improvements, with solid demo
cratic ADMINISTRATION, especially if
seventy-fse thousand dollars of the
peoples money can be saved by the
operation. am opposed to con
stitutional convention in the second
place because | am afraid that the
present instrument would be made
worse rather than improved. The
most pressing want, in my judgment,
with the people of this country is a
law or set Of laws which will restore
mutual confidence to our people;
which will enable men t. collect
debts due them, and compel unprin-
cipled men who would defraud his
fellow out Of the proceeds of his in
dustry to pay that which he owes
and bargained to pay AS this mat
ter now stands we are doing very
we'll. 1t has been virtually decided
from the supreme bench that it is
optional with man whether be has
homestead or not he may waive
it If 10 his judgment it is to his inter>
est so to do, obtain the capital of his
neighbor to. further bis enterprises
and his obligation to pay is reliable
and negotiable in the avenues ct
trade. Present indications lead us
to believe that if the convention
should assemble they will fix homes
stead of fifteen hundred or two thou
sand dollars 10 such manner that it
cannot be waived or made subject to
debt at all, thus virtually killing or
materially injuring the credit Of a
large majority of our citizens; de-
st.,oying confidence which is the
bond of society and the life Of trade
offering standing premium upon
hypocrisy ind rascality and be-
queath;ng to our children few acres
of land rather than intoxicating the
stern virrAesNof unhinching integrity
As our laws now stand and are in
by our officials very
much doub. the prop'iety of further
tampering with this cancerous ex>
crescerce the handling of which al
ways produces soreness, general ir-
and fresh corruption. Thou~
sands of our young men begin life
a homestead the law can
not provide one for them and IS by
industry they have pro-
cured one the same line of virtuous
action will preserve and enlarge it
and this is the kind of a life that
public sentiment ought to endorse
and the laws of the land based upon
sound moral principles tend to en-
force. If on the other hand a man
gets possession of homestead by
inheritance or other easy method
the disposition to hold it at the ex-
pense of honest creditors has for it's
a desire to avoid honest
labor and to shirk the responsibilities
Of useful living.
Thirdly think it more than
probable that the capitol would be
from its present very APP
location to place less fit,
upon the supposition that it should
be where Influences detrimental to
legislation would not be
brought to bear upon those members
ofthe General Assembly whose men>
.al machinery and moral movement
s insufficient to compete with politi~
,al rings and chicanery. My idea
about this influence is that when and |
wherever there is piece of propos
ID Legislation ofsufiicient Importance
o have champions in the lobby of
money and brains that they will iu>
'ect the legislature whether it be To-
lated in the county Of Dadc or in
more accessible point, the only diff
'erence being that in Dade there
would be no outside pressure other
han tina! for special and selfish pur-
poses, while as In Atlanta on the
,ther hand you are surrounded by !
light and information. AS to other
changes (admitting their
necessity as the reduction Of the
number of both houses of legislature
sessions; diminishing the
number of the Judicial circuits, &c,