The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-11-14

Now that the excitement about the election is
over, the papers OF the State can address them
selves to the task of discussing those public
measures which the interests of the people de-
mand should receive the attention of the next
Legislature An intelligent and calm discussion
Of the defects in our existing laws and the need
for new ones will be of great value to the gentle
men just chosen by the people to represent them
at Tallahassee this winter The regular time
allowed for the Legislature is two months. AS
a general rule, the first month is wasted and
most of the important work is compressed into
the last four or five weeks of the session. Many
members 60 to Tallahassee with only confused
ideas of what is wanted, and after they get there
and talk with others, their conception of the real
wants of the State is not very greatly bright
ened, and ii takes several weeks of talking and
fOoling for everybody to gel a fair start. There
are really only few measures of leading i'm
portance These should be discussed and well
underst 'od in advance, SO that the Legislature
can have some basis for beginning work at once
upon its assembling
We take it that there is an overwhelming SEN
taoent in the Stale in favor of amending the
Constitution. That will, Of course, he one OF The
prominent questions. But the advocates of
amendment should at once agree upon some ba-
sis of action II those who favor different plans
for effectng amendments fight each other over
these plans, very little will be accomplished
Very few counties favor the short cut method to
q convention the friends of that method, there
fore, should see the impossibility of carrying
their plan through, abandon il, and unite with
the majority, which will probably favor calling
a convention in The regular manner provided by
the Constitution aud laws of the State. This
done, at the commencement Of the session, ju-
dicious committee should prepare the needed
amendments to be passed by legislative enact
ment, and these should be adopted and put in
process Of final enactment, 60 that il the Call for
convention failed before the people, time
would be gained and the most needfu amend
ments be In the way Of soon becoming part OF
the organic law of the State, notwithstanding
the defeat OF the convention.
In what we have said above we do not wish
to be understood as expressing the opinion that
q convention should be called. We think about
that just az we have always done, that all need.
full amendments can be made better and cheaper
by legislative enactment. Believing, however,
that majority will favor a convention, we are
In favor of such q course az will insure the
needed amendments, no matter what the fate Of
q convention might be when the people pass
upon the question.
But there are other leading questions, relating
TO the public schools, to finance and taxation to
immigration, and to the development of our re-
sources, which should have full discussion In
advance Of the meeting of the Legislature, and
10 this article we merely desired to suggest 70
our contemporaries q line Of diacussion 10 which
the press Of the State could render valuable SER
vice,