The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-10-13
For County surveyor
JOHN N. JONES.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
--BIENNTAL SESSIONS.

JOHN n. JONES.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
--BIENNTAL SESSIONS.
BY an act Of the Legislature of Wis
cOnsin, an amendment to the cOnstitu-
ton of,the state, providing for biennial
sessions, will be submitted to a vote of
the people, at the general election in
November next. One of the sections
of the act reads as follows:
"The first general election for all
state and county officers, except judicial
officers, after the adoption of this
amendment, shall be holden in the year
A. D. 1884, and thereafter the general
election shall be held biennially. All
state, county or other officers elected at
the general election in 1881, and whose
terms of Office would otherwise expire
on the first Monday of January, 1884,
shall hold and continue in such offices
respectively until the first Monday in
January in the year 1885,"
From the foregoing section it will
be seen that if the proposed amend
ment for biennial sessions be adopted,
there will be no elections for state or
county officers next year-1SS3.
The proposed amendment to the Con-
stitution of the State is one that
should be carefully considered by
every voter. If upon its adoption it
should be found cumbersome and pro-
ductive of but few, if any, Of the good
results anticipated from it, then as
many years will be required to rid the
constitution Of the State of the incum-
brance as were necessary to secure its
adoption. 1t takes two years to render
the amendment effective, and as many
more to set it aside. 1t is altogether
unlike law that may be enacted by
the legislature one session and repeal
ed the next.
The benefit which it is claimed will
result from biennial sessions of the
legislature are reduction of State ex-
penses, and the inconvenience Of too
freqaent change Of laws. AS to the ex-
pense, there is no certainty it would
prove saving to the people; it might
or it might not. In growing state
like WiscOnsin-a state Of such diYersi-
fed interests matters demanding leg
lslation would be likely to arise which
could Enot bear a postponement of
year without mourning damage to the
state as we'll as to individuals. The
calling Of an extra session Of the legis-
lature by the Governor involves an ex-
pense nearly as great as a regular SEES
sion. Again as to expense, it will not
do to claim the cheapest government
is the best; if this were sound in prin-
ciple, then it might be well to reduce
the number of members Of the legisla-
ture, both in Senate and Assembly,
one-half. Or if it be the chief policy
to reduce expenses, then there is other
governmental machinery that might
be dispensed with by the concentration
of power into fewer hands. But it
has not been fully demonstrated that
biennial sessions, where the expert
ment has been tried, have proven sat
isfactory. Certainly in the older and
smaller states it would be more likely
to be success than in new state
like Wisconsin.
AS it regards the frequent changes
of laws by our legislatures, it may be
attended with inconvenience by those
not accustomed to watch the progress
of legislation. But it is fair to pre-
sumo that every new law, or amend
ment to law, as general rule, is for
the better. The experience of every
year reveals defects in present laws,
or some new interest demanding legis-
lation. The age is progressive, new
wants are constantly springing up, and
it is the legitimate duty of State gov
ernments to protect and encourage, by
proper enactments, whatever will con-
duce to public interests. Legislation
must keep. pace with the expanding
developments of the State. 1t is there
fore better to forego the inconvenience
of frequent changes of the laws than
to retard the interests of the people
from a lack of needful legislation.