Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-04-17
ACormor.ns creed Of omce.

constitutional Doules are SehSi-
ally passionless and judicial. They
usually assemble to reflect in their
deliberations the best aspirations OF
the people. In our personal expe-
rlencs we are acquainted with but
a single instance in which such an
assembly chose to posturize as q
demagogue, viz, that of California.
Generally constitutions evoke an
Interest amongst the masses so lam
guild that the vote by which they
are adopted or defeated is an incon-
siderable one.
The Constitutional Convention
OF California, having adjusted Its
com pass to the North Pole of the
Sand Lots, became at once revolu'
tionary and unsparing.
Asa an amiable introduction of its
work this thorough body-thorough
in the sense OF Strafford-abolished
every officer In the State. The
members of this body were thor
oughly imbued with the old Cow
enAnter doctrine that the earth and
the fatness thereof were designed
for the Saints. They were, also,
permeated with the SNUG conceit
taat they were the Saints. All that
was necessary, thereafter, with this
idea wholesomely imbedded In the
constitutional brain, was that pos
session which is said to be nine
points Of the law.
Having reached this elevated If
egotIstical plateau, an abolition Of
everything that stood in the way OF
the personal ambition OF its men,
bers was the next thing for this
unique body.
Every one remembers how the
Convention pounced, like hawk
on Q June bug, on the fellow who
introduced into 1t resolution that
mono Of Its members should be elig.
ible to any of the offices created by
the new Constitution, at the next
ensuing election, under provisions
formulated so worldly. A reasona.
BILE amount of nitro.glycerine
"touched off" is the only parallel
to the indignation and the repudia-
tion which this proposition pro.
voked.
Was it for this that they had in.
dulged in all that "wIndy suspira-
tion of forced BREATH" extending
for fifty-seven days beyond the
time contemplated by the Legisla-
ture? T? Perish the thought
What would become Of the State
II these Solons should not them.
selves, as the elect of the people,
interpret the instrument they had
formulated
Consequently, as the one hun
dred and fifty-two members of th'
Convention need a good many OF
fees to 60 round, they were re
morseless. They would not evel
spare our admirable Suprem
Court.
Every individual mem ber Of tina
historical but, We hope, abortivt
body, was a sort of compound o
Alaric and Attila-of Goth ant
Hun. His impulse was that of the
fanatic of old, "SIay and spare not.'
He was determined to smite the Of
fioe.holding enemy hip and thigh
To be epIgram matte, he was al
tout" who wanted to be an "in."
No one can dispute the fact that
this was o brutal programme. We
are inclined to think that it was
grossly unconstitutional, besides,
In the spirit if not in the letter.
Take the case Of the Judges, for
instance. We have glanced over a
good many Constitutions, includ.
ing the brief but incompatible
Constitution of the United s tates.
We notice In all Of them provis
Ions, especially with regard to the
Judges. stipulating that the COM
pensation Of these officials shall not
b. diminished durilg their term of
Office.
Do not such provisions also imply
that these gentlemen ought not to
be, practically, removed from office,
except for cause, during the term
for which they have been elected?
Was not their engagement a con-
tract?
A man is elected to office by the
people for a stipulated number of
years. He makes his arrangements ts
accordingly. He enters into an ex-
act mathematical calculation Of his
plan Of life. 1t Is simply an out
rage to disturb that humble and
con1dlnR plan, and that contract,
except for cause. No rightly poised
men would do 1T, whether Consti.
tuition makers or not.
A painstaking and conscientiou.
official could support the abolition
Of his office. but to be legislated ouI
OF 1t ls an unspeakably infamou.
infringement OF the equities. AL
Of these men can earn more as law
yers than as Judges, but the bru
talIty of the thing Is what we are
dwelling on.
Such an outrage would never
have been perpetrated by the Con.
al ~