The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-06-02
constitutional Convention.

constitutional Convention.
The Farmers convention In advocating the
call of Constitutional Convention for this
State did Almost wise and opportune act. The
present Constitution gives US cumbrous anu
Expensive form of government which cannot
be remedled by amendment, for such q mode
Of change Is tedious, uncertaln II and calculated
to produce unnecessary divisions among our
peopie. The organic law under which we live
would suit very well for n densely populated
Stale like MassachuEetts or New York; but II
provides q ndmber Or Unnecessary offices, and
Is in other respects contrary TO the genims; OF
oil Convention.-AnderSon fntelligeacer.
To which the Nepberry Gtse,-teI replies as
follows:
Like oil arguments we have seen for q Con-
stllutlonal Convention. the above Is exceed
insly:: vague .and indefinite. Not o single
Objectionable item Is mentioned, ana not q
single change suggested. It is snfd, In O gen.
eral way, that "the present Constitution gives
us a cum brous and expensive fnrip OF govern
ment:" In what respects? What is there
cumbrous about it7 Or what expensive?
Article is taken up entirely with deelara-
tion OF rights, in which no reasonable once
ton can be found. 1t contains nothing either
cumbrous or expensive.
manner of their rapportionment and election.
We defy our cote,nporary to suggest any I'm,
provements. Any "unnecessary othcesr,
there? 1t also provides for u homestead. II
the homestead law is to be abolished, the way
TO accomplish it is to submit the question 10
the people by way Of amendment.
Article III relates exclusively TO the execu'
tive department, and is very, plain and sim,
ple-could not possibly be made more 30. 1t
provides for the election of Governor and 9th
tr State officers, and there Is nothing cum,
brous or expensive about 1t, And no one VIII VIII
contend that there are unnecessary ohces'
N nXnpnt1ye IpDQrtment.
Article ~ provides for the election OF SI-
preme and Circuit and Probate Judges, Clerk
Of Court, Sheriff, Corofier,, Solicitor. County
Nothing "cumbrous" about this. The Consti;
tuition does not require that these offices shall
be "expcnslve'', for the salaries are left 10 De
fixed by the General Assembly. Are any OF
these Offices unnecessary? If SO. what
opcs? A few personal---very. few-think the
office Of County Commissioner Is unnecessa-
ry. The General Assembly heretofore has re-
and has refused to provide for them; but IT.
has, provided for Trial Justices, not required
by the Constitution, and conforming In every
essential particular to Justices OF the Peace,
except in name and in the fact that they ore
appointed by the Governor Instead OF being
Article v provides for arbitrators, change Of
venue in certain cases and for the codifcation
sive about that, unless 1t be the codifcation
of the laws. And we remember that cartain
Legislators at one time opposed the codlhca-
tion Of the laws on account OF the expense,
Mackey thatan economical member from his
county had prepared bill to have the laws
cohlded by convict labor. 1.
Article vi relates 10 eminent domaln-to
which no objection can ever be raised by any
Article VII relates to impeachments; is
plain, and simple and entirely unobjectiona-
BE and incapable Of Improvement, -.
Article VIII, relating to the right OF suf-
frage, could not be improved.
Article TX relates to finance and taxation,
and we have never seen or heard OF the least
objection TO any thing contained therein.
Article K relates to education; PROVIDES ioI
a State Superintendent OF Education and
County School Commssioner-all necessary,
and not more expensive than necessary.
With the amendment of 1879, 1t provides ior q
mill tax for common schoolsLput H. ID n,odHe tme
ed to keep 1t there. 1t provides also for a
State Normal School-whlch is neither cum
brous nor expenslve-it costs 81 500 o year,
amount a State Reform School for Juvenile
often ders-this the Legislators have regarded
as "unnecessary"-it has. not been "exPen.
sive'', for It has never been establishedIlt
cause the inmates could easily be made 10
Work and pay for the expenses OF the. 1nstitu:
tion-it may not be- necessary, BUT II H. eH-
tremely proper, aud, independent OF Con
tablished long ago. An agricultural college
and the State University; but no military
academy provided for. ,.o
tiary and a deaf dumb and blind Institution.
but leaves the details to the General Assem-
bly, entirely.
Article XII relates TO corporations-no OBJ
Article XIII provides for MALTA, but
leaves all the details TO the General Assembly y.
Article XIv.is miscellaneous. 1t prohibits
lotteries and divorces and gives to married
women the right to hold real estate.
Article XIV directs how the Constitution
may be amended and how constitutional
convention may be called-no possible oDjec-
ton 10 anything In this article.
Article XVI rOrbids increasing the Pueiic
debt except by vote Of twothlrds OF the
qualified voters OF the State In favor OF it-a
very wlssprovlson indeed.
col Constitution" The fact that 1t is Radi;
cal Constitution is, we believe, the chief anu
almost the only objection TO 1t. The objection
is simply o sentiment. Sentiment Is well
now to pay forty or fifty thousand dollars to
crafty sentiment. Leaving out the ques'
lion Of sentiment. we have no hesitation In
saying that the probabilities are the present
Constitution contains much less opJecti0napie E
material than one that would be adopted
now. Better bear the ills we have than ny 10
those We know not OF. Better change the Con-
stitution by gradual amendment rather than
10 20 10 an expense Ol lOTlS VI ully tuouooho
dollars 10 get one that may not be as good as
the one we have. Talk of the "peoplc" fram-
Ing Constitution; the people no more frame
q Constitution thac they make the laws. one
hundred and fifty-nlne men make the laws
and they do not always make such as tne
''people" want or need. One hundred und III.
ty.nine men would frame Constitution; and
there Is no assurance whatever that they
would frame 1t to suit the people.
But 10 return TO our esteemed cotemporary
of AndersOn What are the unnecessary Oh
fees" provided for by the Constitution?
The Constitution provides for Governor,
Lieut. Governor, Secretary OF state; comp
troller-General, State Treasurer, Superinteli-
dent Of Education and Adjutant General for
The Constitution further provides for three
Supreme Court Judges, Circuit Judges-num-
ber not specified, but left to the General AS.
sembly, which divides the State into "conven.
lent circuits, and elects u Judge for each-a
Solicitor for each Circuit Any unnecessary
offices" provided here by the Constitutions.
The Consultation further provides for the
bate Judge, Coroner and three County Com
missioners. ANY unnecessary offices" here
If so, name them. 1t also provides for Jus
tices OF the Peace. Probably these are the
unnecessary Offices" BUTT is hardly worth
while TO go to all expense OF forty or nlty
thousand dollars to get rid Of Justices OF the
Peace, when the General Assembly manages
10 get rid Of them for nothing.
We have named all the offices provided for
by the Constitution. Will the IHteitigencet.
point out those that are "unnccessRry? Anu
will 1t 20 further and show wherein 1.-THE pres
ent Constitution gives us q cumUrouS ana eX-
pensive form of government?