The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-21
LEGISLATIVE DISTRUST.
WARNER MILLER ON CHANGES IN
OUR POLITICAL HISTORY.

popular tendency TO Increase the
Executive Power and Limit Legis-
lstive Functions-The Railroad Cor
poration Chiefly Responsible for
This Result-The Effect Of Doub-
ling the Membership of State Leg
tslatures.
Copyright
NEW YoRK, Sept 20-No man in poiiri-
cal life in New York state is an object Of
% much interest Just as present as ex-
United States Senator Warner Miller. He
10 an unknown quantity in politics at the
moment, and. in fact has been 50 since he
fell outside the breastworks in the last and
greatest political fight of his life. IL is not
improbable that he will be a candidate for
the seat in the Senate now occupied by Mr.
Evarts, and it would not be surprising if
his chief opponent should be ex-senator
cor Tom Plat, his bitterest enemy. His friends
Iuen say that be is preparing for great struggle
nne with Platt and the air win soon be thick
meas with fur, for it will be battle to the
ulAue death
- Mr. Miller has been the victim of bossism
N politics so long that he feels deeply on
Ma the subject, and his views are positive We
were talking, the other day about the trend
Of thof political matters Mr. Miller was in a
.chatty mood.
New> "You ask me" he said, repeating my
a.. 9, question, 'if have noticed any change in
our political conditions Yes, l have
INA Probably one of the most marked features
of the political conditions of to-day is the
- contempt in which modern legislative bodies
The are now held as compared with the respect
place full consideration they received at the begin
formauing of the present century. All attempts
NEy'o establish liberty, or the freedom Of the
J. H people in the form Of government
g. r began with the attempt 30 overthrow the
power of the single man and to establish in
n his place q legislature or representative
} body, which was TO govern in the name of
the people, and be responsible to them. One
of the principal demands made by the rev.
dictionary fathers, before the great strug-
gle took place, was that there should be no
taxation without representation. At the
beginning of our government here, and
for years afterward, both in national aud
state branches, the very highest and best
talent in the country sought to serve the
public by accepting place in legislative
body. In fact, they were considered posi-
tions of the highest honor in the Republic
How long has such change been going
onP
For the past twenty-five years there has
been great change going on, which has
been, perhaps. imperceptible, and In many
instances altogether unnoticad by the great
masses of the people. The first of our state
constitutions were established for the pur-
pose of limiting the powers vested in exec
those of the legislature OF late in the
various states many changes have been
made in their constitutions, and they have
even gone so far as to limit the powers of
the legislature itself, and to increase the
powers OF the state executive officers, and
municipal Off ers As ar instance witness the
state of New York, which has frequently
amended its constitution, diminishing or
abridging the powers of the legislature IL
has taken away the power of the legisla-
ture to such an extent that 10 can no longer
grant special charters and can now make
only general laws. Another very marked
instance Is the change in the state constitu-
ton which gives to the governor the power
to veto separate items In an appropriation
Dill, and thereby making it impossible for
the governor 70 select any item from the
bill and veto it without vetoing the entire
bill"
why were these changes NADER
These changes in the constitution have
been made by the people because of the lack
of confidence in the legislative bodies to do
their work properly aud honestly, and,
without doubt, this state Of affairs is true
TO greater or less extent of all legislative
bodies in the world. 1t applies with more
or less forcs not only 10 the congress of tho
United States, but to the English parlia-
ment, the German Reichstag, the French
Chamber of Deputies and the Span-
ism Cortes. When the legislature of
the state adjourns, or when con-
gress has finished its labors and the
members have left Washington for their
homes. the people feel deep sense of relief
and new impetus is given to speculation and
commercial enterprises of all kinds all over
the country. The newspapers facetiously
say that the reason for this is because, con-
gress having adjourned, no more harm can
come from that quarter, and consequently
people are more inclined TO risk their money
IN ventures which, while congress was
In session, might have been i'm
paired by adverse legislation At
Ine same Tune there Is a great
deal of truth in the statement SO often made
by the press, for many important interests
look upon the legislatures as threatening
bodies, with the power of doing a great
deal OF harm during the session. Con-
sequently, when they do adjourn no further
injury can be expected from that source
causes?'
'rhe reasons for these changes In respect
TO legislative bodies, which have been going
on for quarter of century or more ara
very many, and shall hot attempt to men
ton them all, but simply refer to a few of
the principal causes.
ut is undoubtedly true that all human
institutions, political and social, tend 90
decadence. A system new to-day NAV be
very effective in preservi the rights of
the people, in advancing their interests and
securing TO them all the blessings of good
government, still that system after a term
OF years, is very likely to be perverted and
even changed in such a way as TO no longer
produce the good effects which it did at
first
Zone of the chief causes of the lack of
confidence that the people feel for legisla-
tive bodies now has grown up since the
organization of great commercial institu-
tious, chiefly railroad corporations. The
corruption OF our modern legislatures began
soon after the organization of great rail-
road corporations in the various parts OF
the world. These vast and powerful com
bnations of capital, the railroads required
much special legislation in order to obtain
their rights and to enable them tn
carry on their great enterprises success
fully. Instead of relying upon the
common law and the statutes already ex-
sting governing the control of property
and the rights OF individuals they sought
special grants or charters, and at once the
system sprung up of thu lobby. They used
It for the passing of whatever measures
they wished to 90 throuph and Of conran