Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-04-23
A Oswneyte on the New ConstItu.
ticn.

EDITOR HERALD: Through the
columns OF your paper we would
like the new Constitutional law
yers to answer the following ques.
tione:
First--Does not the adoption Of the
new Constitution abolish all the
codes and statutes of the State
made under the Old Constitution :?
Second-D es not the adoption of
the new Constitution abolish all
the Courts of the State and the
laws for their government for
the protection of all our rights and
the enforcement Of our claims N ade
and provided under he [ Id Consti.
tuition
Third Does not the adoption of
the new Constitution give a. new
judiciary and a new system Of
Courts entire In January, 1880,
without any law for bringing any
action before said Courts until pro-
vided for by the Assembly which
meets In January, 1850.
II 1t required one hundred and
ifty-seven days for the mem bers of
the Constitutional Con vention to
frame that diminutive document,
will 1t be possible for our repre-.
sentatives to the Legislature in one
hundred days (the timo allowed by
the new Constituti0n) by the direc-
tion Of this incompetent, vague and
mystified document, to prepare aud
adopt a statute and code of la ws ap-
plicable to, and sufficient for, the
protection of all the various Inter-
ests Of the State?
1t is a we'll known fact that the
Constitution Is but the foundation
stone upon which must be erected
the great building OF State govern
ment; and, In this great temple of
ustice, every stone must be neatly
dressed and carefully fitted, or some
poor, toiling, care aud labor worn
citizen, or class of citizens, will ap-
ply In vain to the only source for
tho protection of a right or the
redress OF wrong. TO do this
great work 1t requires time. talent,
thought and labor. No hundred
days will suffice for this great work.
and q hundred and sixty days-the
time allowed US for the first three
vears-will he far inadequate TO the
task.
Are the people Of the State of
California prepared for this terrible
stroke Of paralysis?
With an Executive without laws
to execute, courts without laws to
enforce, the whole fabric of our
com nmercial aud financial system
swept out of our State, with our
people already pressed by the hard.
ness of the times and the scarcity
or money aud deluged with debt;
with an army of traInps and brawl.
Ing Sand Lot communists follow
Ing ut the heels of the honest labor
er, shall we be tortured to the help
less folding of our hands? Shal,
We look to q brawling, divided, Ills.
concerted. contentious body of leg
islat Is frittering away their time
In making bunc0mbe speeches, re-
gardless OF their constituents Ell
treaties, as did the members of the
Constitutional Convention, for re-
liefe
The proposed reformers only
bleat and cr0ak, without giving us
u consistent remedy IN a single in
stance. They should have pro-
vided at least, in justice to he pro.
lection OF our interests, that our
present laws and courts should
have remained In force, or that the
present laws should have been ap
plicable to the practice in our new
system of Courts unit. u new code |
could have been prepared ami
adopted, and not have SUI jected u.,
IN case the new Constitution /.
adopted, for q series Of years, to u !
regime without consistent or
Wholesome laws for our govern
ment and protection.
I will not comment further, at |
present, on my interroga ories, but
put one more.
section 5, Article IL, provides
that "the Legislature shall, by |
general and uniform laws, provide |
"for the election or appointment, in
"the several couu.ies, of Boards Of |
"Supervis0rs, Sheriffs, County
"Cierks, District Attorneys, amt
"such other county, township and |
municipal officers as public con.
"venience may require, aud shall |
"prescribe their duties and fix
"lhelr terms Of office"
Suppose the first Legislature un-
der the new Constitution provides
for the appointment of all our
county, township and municipal
officers, and hxes their terms of |
office at twenty years, what is our
remedy, as provided In the new |
Constitution? This needs no com
ment. 1t shows plainly upon Its |
face the danger we are subjected to |
under the new Constitution. All |
that Is needed to disclose the peril |
Ia a careful and unprejudIced read
ing Of 1t. Every voter will clearly
see that every proposed remedy In
the new document for the evils
complained Of Is pregnant with
underlying evils which will lead to
sure destruction.
If our Legislature is not to be
trusted, under the old Constitution, c
how are we to repose confidence
in IL under the new, and with un-
restricted power vested In its
members tn fasten their leeching |
friends In office, with perfect con-
troll over all our privileges for an
ipde finite periOde
w. w. ALLEN.
Downey City, April 2lst.