The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-10-28
Vote Against the Constitutional
Amendment.

A correspondent Of the Kansas Farmer
gives the following facts regarding the
constitutional amendment to be voted
upon this fall. We heartily endorse
the views of the correspondent and ad
wise our readers to go to the polls on
the second day of November and vote
against the proposed amend:
The constitutional amendment to be
voted on this fall proposes to increase
the number of Justices from three to
| fve-something needed, the increase
Of Supreme court business being too
large for the present fOrce-but such a
proposition should be submitted sepa-
Tately.
1t provides for an increase of the
number of judges from five to seven by
two-thirds of the legislature. This, if
adopted. will, in few years, bring a
horde of ambitious lawyers, aspiring to
be judges, to lobby laws through the
legislature making places for them
selves.
1t increases the tenure of office from
six to ten years. The state may just
as well make it for life as for ten
| years.
The salary is fixed at $4,000 per year
| instead of $4,000 as now provided, thus
nearly doubling the salary, and by The
increased number giving them about
| half the amount of work.
The amendment has very adroitly
left out of Section Is. article 3, the fol-
lowing important restrictions; sand
| such judges shall receive no fees or per-
quisites nor hold any other office of
| profit or trust under the authority of
the state or the United States during
the term Of Office for which said JUS
tice shall be elected. nor practice law
in any of the courts Of tbs state during
their continuance in Office.o
This is too important to be stricken
from our fundamental law.
Adopt this amendment and you
strike out this restriction Of those am
bilious judges who are to grace the SUI
preme bench, and convert them into
politicians and lobbyists for place and
power.
The legislature Of 1883 wisely passed
law fOrbidding eveH district judges
from being candidates for 6GQgresS.
This amendment opens wide the door
for long pent up ambition smouldring
in the minds Of five or seven supreme
judges. These officials are only men.
and are subject to all the depravity in
cident to human nature.
This ambition for power leads to any
thing but pure judiciary, and will end
in corruption. And the old section 10,
article 8, should remain forever as a
part of the constitution.
But the milk in this cocoanut is the
increase of salaries firm So, 900 to $4,000.
Many members Of the legislature of
1883 have not forgotten how toy we're
besieged by judges of the supreme court
TO vote for pending bill to increase
their salaries from $4,000 to $4,000.
SO the PEAL genius of this amend
mon is the increase of the salar-
los in Tho aggregate frGM $4,000 to
S25 O0o Witbo 40 least disrespeGt
to either of the able gentleme.. w" u
the bench, do not believe either conn.
MAKE $4,000 year, or even $1,000 at
the BAR In any county in the state.
Three thousand dollars has comman
ded the best talent and will still contin-
ue 10 do so. Some of these Justices
nave supported large families in good
style, educated them and accumulated
thousands in the last fifteen wears. |
why this gratuity? Not to obtain bet
ter talent for that we have: and if is
the experience of all observing men |
that these same men are around TO hunt |
up delegates just before their election |
comes on.
The amendment is placed before the |
people IN form to mislead. If that |
Legislature had submitted the amend
ment to increase the number of .Jns-
tices from three to five, no one conId |
OBJECT. But to smuggle in an increase
OF salaries from $4,000 to $4,000 and
permit these Judges to practice law in
our courts and take all sorts of fees and
emoluments at the same time. is to
strlke blow at the purity of the iudic-
larry. Therefore let us vote it down. ,,
Princeton, Kansas.