The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-04
SOUND VIEWS OF AN OLD IMPRACTI
CARI,E.

Gen. Toombs has written very able
letter in his usual trenchant style,
strongly favoring the call of conven-
ton to frame new constitution for the
State OF Georgia.
The present constitution Of that State
asserts. in effect, that this is a CONSOLE
dated or centralized government. and
the General would have constitution
enunciating the doctrine Of local self
government. The executive depart
ment, he thinks, should be reorganized,
while the present judiciary system is
defective and inadequate to speedy
trial of either civil or criminal cases.
The present Senate, the jury system,
the grand jury system, and the legisla-
tive department are all condemned.
The General favors liberal and effec-
tive homestead law instead of the de-
fective one now in force. He would so
limit and define the powers of the Leg
islature that there would no longer be a
mission in Georgia government and
politics for that Ubiquitous, corrupting
and debasing institution known as the
lobby. Much that Gen. Toombs has
written Of the present constitution of
Georgia, framed and imposed upon the
State by carpet-baggers and ignorant
negroes, might be said OF the present
constitution of this State. The follow
ing extract from his letter especially
contains sound political and economic
doctrine:
But the great defect in the constitution is that
It does not prot ct the property of the people
against invasion Of the Legislative power. The
failures to limit by organic law the power OF the
legislative department have brought the Fed.
eral and state governments and municipal cor
pors,iops to the verge of bankruptcy, and i'm
poveTished and ruined the people. This has
been the most fris htful source OF all OF our ca
lamities We must remark and plainly define the
dividing line between individual rights and pub
lie authority.
The age IN which we live has developed new
dangers to free representative governments
Even The inventions and discoveries OF genius in
the arts and Sciences with their new benefits and
blessings to mankind have also brought new
dangers to good government This is especially
time of those inventions and discoveries which
contribute 30 largely to the promotion and distri-
button OF wealth aud the spreading of intelli-
gence among men and nations. The improve
ments in the application OF the illimitable power
Of steam and the utilization Of electricity are
especially noteworthy elements in their effects
have made great associations OF capital in
Vulnerable and gigantic corporations me-
cesssry for their development. These
corporations with large capitals arc
powerful, and, therefore, dangerous to
society. They first absorb individual oapital-all
right enough-then all they can borrow--st
right enough, and next the treasures of NUM-
eipai corporations, pubic lands and all other pub
1en 49, Al
National and State governments-this ia all
wrong, violates JUSTICE transfers the sweat of the
poor TO the Golfers of the rich appropriates the
public fund to private use and profit, and opens
the flood gates OF fraud and pubic demoralza-
hon What is the remedy for these great evils
and dangers? We must find is somewhere, or
abandon represen alive government. We have
seen Congress corrupted; State Legislatures cor
rupied; city authorities corrupted; all Of our
guards over public property and public credit
corrupted; anew poweris discovered, and political
burglary IL enro led among the useful arts OF gov
eminent. The remedy is plain and sufficient for all
of these things. We can accept no other security
but this We must put it out If the power of our
rulers to injure society ii they wish to do it. Let
ns make new constitution. and by that consti-
saton make the depository of the public treasury
and public credit political burglarproof, and put
the kew in the pockets of the people, by declar-
ING that no debt shall ever be created BY the
Legislature or binding upon the State except for
the public defense; that the State shall never be
bpund for the debt, default or miscarriage OF
another" This will cave tie people and the
state from rum Nothing else will. and it must
he done now or we may he too late. Municipal
rnrr orations should be confined to their own
Unite ana not pc mitted to ndorse at all or Dor
row. except for the good government OF their
respective corporations.
Could a constitutional convention be
assembled ii Louisiana which would