The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-02-07

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lsiulls - i s - a.
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1lls.n it psDnE q ~ anns ain q .
essisllk 81 - ]. zln1e, = an jnal|-
mzut, 20 snnst irD1 lax, - nnsA was q
o. tine md FrSbShly i now Elbs spiu,-
f6d q 1hs ealtr q &c Nsyo6zlE he
abssm0s ct an6h sesssiOti0n wns scan-
dalOusly nbnsed under the old order Of
things, Mlssa persons were allowed 10
msn0p6lizs sG1iees In utser sialstion Of
nrficle Of the Constitution and In detTi-
msnt Of The public service. But the 10
stFiction Should ihssH be Eantsiotsd, for
We think the plblis iassre4t wsuld N
s0Ene instances be pFUm0ssd By cOns1li-
dating so-0llled uIioes Of . profit" In
fAc4, the Consultations Of 1888 and 1885
did except from the prohibitinn against
holding Two olEnes Jusfioes ofSfhs RsaDe,
OOnstsblea, N0tssyh PlBIic md officers
of the Militia There are counties in
which the olirea Of Tax Assessor and Col
lectOr, for illustrafi0n, should BE united
in one persOn and thiH could be done
with advantage, - the commissions now
reUsived By 1wn Il paid 10 one, would
secure better sslsirs by eniisting gEeater
interest m The Nischarge Of their duties
by the incumbsut The pay in such
counties for aaseaaing and collecting.
when divided between two, is not sufi-
cient to compensate for faithful work, par
ticulariy in hunting mp property which
ought to 60 on the tax books but escapes
for want of vigilance in the Assessor,
whose commissions are so trifiing in
amount as to make him content to list and
enter what he sees, without going to the
trouble and labor of hunting for that
which is hidden.
The Advocate further says: |
The history of limitations thrown around eli
ghniiiy To the Executive Office nf this State is
instructive. The Constitution of 1888 provided
that the GOvernsr should be thirty wears of nRg
fnff fna and
the State five yeaB. The Conventions of 1851
69 and 1885 adopted the same terms. But the
present Constitution omiis age, and changes the
qualifications Of citizenship TO nine years in the
United States and three In the State. The first
organic law made the Governor ineligible 10 re-
election until the expiration Of four years alter
filing Dne term. That was the master stroke of
wisdom In the Convention of 1898 That is
weak government which throws all iis patronage
into the hands of the Executive, with a broad
invitation 10 succeed himself, or TO help himself
to any higher Office on which his heart may be
SET Ii will become rs corrupt government as
IL is q weak one. But the politicians Of TO day,
If relied upon to revise the present instrument,
cannot be depended on to put clause in u new
Constitution, declaring that the Governor shall
nnt be eligible TO the same Office 10 the Office
of Senator of the United States, until one or
more years after the expiration OF his term of
Office as Governor. None but nOn-aspiring av-
voting m the affirmative On either one of such
prohibitions But the fathers of the State did
80, be il said to their honor.
These restrictions and limitations could
very well have been retained, but their
absence is not seriously objectionable
As fitness for even the Office of Governor
is not 50 much q matter of age as of
other qualifications, the people may well
be left free to choose their chief magistrate
from those who are thought fttest and
not be restricted in their choice to those
who have attained q certain age And
30, too, with respect to the omission Of
the ineiigibility clause, which our CO
temporary thinks was the " master-strOke
of wisdom in the Convention of 1888. I"
And yet it was simply restriction upon
the freedom of choice by the people. A
shorter term than four years, without re-
strictiOn Is to eligibility TO reelection,
would be preferable, in our judgment.
There need be no fear, we think, that the
people will Ee-sleCt 8 chief magistrate the
second time, whether The term be long or
short, unless their experience with his ad-
ministration commends him to their APP
probation. In such case We do not see
any very great i" wisdom " in denying
them freedom Of action. The appointing
power uDder the present Constitution is
of no benefit in securing . denomination.
On the contrary, it is source of weak
ness. Il is IN absolnte detrimeut TO him
who wants 10 be his own successor. Un-
less the appointments made are generally
unekceptionable and unless his admins
tratiOn has been otherwise &c, nnexe..p-
tionably good as 20 command the popular
regard, the Executive who Yields this
power for four or any other number of
yeafs may be safely set down a. an ineIi-
g1ble candidate for re-election, "a much
%. - II the Constitution had itself Inn
tied the term. The Ossts are always iniin-
itely more numerous than The S,ss. and
with them the election of new man
means new deal" Instances could be
citsd Of ouiapohen hOsfility " The late
and present administrations bsfoss either
had been in power any grsat length Of
time coming mainly from disappointed ex-
naefanfa whoae 0raed for ofse,a ana h.,...