The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-03-02

h liberty Can Never Rcrish In any Free
60 ern,nent until the Legislative Au
,burity Becomes More Corrupt than the
Executive.
u The subjoined extracts from the repor
Congressman Tillman's speech on the
y = nnoTtionment bill as published in the
s, ,ebpnrgressional Record, will give the public
il .llrme idea of its breadth, its liberality
vs. thoughtfulness and itc feryied patriot.
g Il has likewise often been charged, and
slieyed, that money has frequently and
,ccessfully been used TO carry elections
s,r United States Senators in the small
legislatures of New York and Pennsyl
ania. Only q few months ago q most
.lisgrsce,Al scene was presented at Alba.
*. illustrating the truth of this remark
Again, when we turn our eyes towards
bo small Legislatures of the West what
ia we behold? Nevada, with but 25
senators and so representatives ; while
Colorado has but 26 senators and 40 rep.
esentatiyes. Is it not both charged and
selieyed that majority of each of these
5etty Legislatures are bribed at every
Election for United States Senator, by
Either the railway, mining and other cor.
a3orations, or by the bonanza capitalists I
Leading newspapers in many parts Of
he United States have, furthermore,
During the last few yef. charged openly
ind boldly that several members Of the
Snal body at the other end Of the Capl.
81 were either elected by corrupt practi-
ees or are corruptly employed by the
Explorations and monopolies of the coun.
IN to egislate for their best interests
Instead OF for the public good. do not
ay that these charges are true, but do
Ray they exist, and that they are credited
n many sections of the country. Nor do
/ say that the Legislature of Now York
Ind Pennsylvania, of Nevada and Colo
ado, or ofany other State or States, are
Corrupt. l simply remark that they are
charged with corruption-that it is be.
9ieyed by vast numbers of men; and |
contend that every Legislative assembly OF
q free people ought to be above suspicion,
which can best be secured in this case
only by having the body so largo that it
5il cost world OF money and trouble
% bribe the majority.
8 The people of New York orNeyada or
81 any other State where the Legislature
5as been debauched or only suspected of
. are just as good on the average as the
5eople ofthe remaining States, that have
iarge Legislatures which cannot be
bribed. 1t is the system of email Legis.
satures that condemn, not the people
l5ho suffer by it. They deserve commits
ssration; and it is q sad thing for the Law
baking power of any free government to
De suspected of corruption even when in
9ocentt OF it, because such & suspicion is
most demoralizing and injurious.
From this dark picture Of the injuries
brought by the Legislature of the Fed.
,@ral Government and of several of the
States being too small let us cast our at.
5ention to New England, where Vermont,
Massachusetts and Connecticut each
'1lye over two hundred and forty mem
bers of the lower house of their Legisla.
Sure, and New Hampshire over three
hundred, actually more representatives
pf the people than this House has. Lit
lie Rhode Island, which is not as large
an territory as either of half dozen
Counties in my own small State, has
shirty-six senators and seventy-two rep
Resentatives. Rhode Island with four
nore Senators than New York, the great
sst State in the Unionl
q NEW ENGLAND LEGISLATURES.
q These New England States reduced
8heir several Legislatures somewhat. too.
@iter the adoption of the Constitution OF
!he United States, on account of the
latter dividing the power to make laws,
put they never forgot join Adams's ad-
Fice, that to keep the Legislatures from
corruption it must be little mass meet
ing. Why, the Massachusetts, Legisla-
ture when it made laws for the State of
Elaine rs well as for her present Terrific
~, contained over seven hundred mem
oers, and we have the authority of Judge
Woodbury., former United States Senator
and Associate Justice Of the United
states Supreme Court, that the body was
pot unwieldly nor disorderly.
Now, whoever heard of one of these
monster New England Legislatures be-
inlg bribed or intimidated for anything,
either to elect Senator or grant q mo-
lnopoly.7 There must be some overpow-
SSnng influence, to make the New Eng.
lander endure the heavy taz necessary
70 pay these multitudinous Legislatures.
Then why is it, what is it, that induces a
New Englander to cheerfully submit to
thls heavy pecuniary burden, when the
Soa of MS idolatry ia said to be the Al
mighty dollarp It is the teaching of
John Adams.
Among all the great men who took
part in the construction and organiza
'ion os our splendid system of National
ana State Governments, three names
81, stand out in bold and perpetual relief
these are John Adams Thomas JefTer.
EE9n ard alexander Hamilton. These
tnree men impressed themselves upon
american polity in way that no time
Sah ef1ace as long as the Republic shall
aasI. a ana OF the three I must cay, in all
;lnrer'sy, l think John Adams did most
ior 70, MS country and the cause of human
iloerty by conceivipg the idea of little
imass meetRgaof representatives for a
iieefelattve assembly and choosing them
~ a. myriad of small election districts
.alled townships. Yes, sir, the petty
township of New England as legisla.
I'VE, administrative and judicial subdi.
vision of the State.-a sort of sovereignty
OF It's OWLS the greatest contribution
10 !, civil liberty that hes ever been made
" mortal man. Adams Taught his peo-
PIE to keep their political affairs in their
own , hands and to distrust every public
ohcer clothed with legislative authority,
VI :. even with judicial or executive author
IVY. de likewise targht them there is safe.
y as we'll as wisdom in multitude OF
councillors. He indelibly impressed
upon them the danger of few infuen.
,,al J.. and wealthy men or families corrupt
y " iusilpqg tho law-makiDg power for pri.
vsIe ENDS and that the best way to pre-
ssnI .s 1t was to have host of Legislators
c'osen by small election districts.
THE CITADEL OF OUR LIBERTIES.