Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-03-29

measure will say we should elect none but our most substantial and most honored citizens-men who are tho heaveist taxpayers and who, above al others, have the future prosperity O the Territory at heart. This Is al right enough When it can be done, bu sometimes we get our fingers burned yod know. We did when we elected I the 18th Legislature and narrowly escaped when we elected the 18th < Not because the 18th were thefilselre' 4 rogues, but because they were so care l less in framing their lava as to leave l them free to 50 much abuse. | Having now taken a general view of this question will now advert tC the law itself and see if can show the reader the principal faults therein con tained.
 After providing for the election o the delegates, to which 1 can at pres ent see no objection, the bill says Gin Section ) 1t shall be the duty of the delegates elected as aforesaid to assem- ble at the city of PheniX on the first Tuesday of January, A. D. One Thous and Eight Hundred and Ninety, at twelve o'clock m., and organize by electing one of their number Presi- dent, and after said convention shall have so organized they may elect such other officers as they shall deem necessary for the convenient transac' ton of their business"
 l., just and wholesome, and if it were not for the abuse such liberal provisions very often meet with, it would be all 1 proper enough. But there are times when our public servants forget the duties they owe to their constituents and prostitute the important trusts confided to their care, to the lower level of private gain.
 You see this bill allows the delegates unlimited power ill the number of oflicers they might want-a power that should not be granted.
 For one example of the extravagapce to which this provision could be car ried,I will cite the reader to the case of the 18th Legislature, where they em- ployed 8 most unreasonable number of clerks.
 It appears to my mind (which l know is slow of comprehending great public questions) that it would have been far the better policy for the | framer of this law to have limited the number of officers, taking due cogniz- ance of course, of the "convenient ! 1f could have been no objection on this score.
 If this were the only objection apart from the irregularity above re- ferred to, l would not have had the temerity to assail it; but in section 10 it goes on to provide that "the dele. gates elected and qualified under the provisions of this act, shall receive for their services the sum of five dollars ($5.00) per day while engaged in the transaction of the business of said convention, and actual travelling ex. penses from their respective homes tC and from said convention; provided however, that no delegate shall receive pay for more than thirty days services The officers of the convention shall receive such compensation as the con ventiOn may deem just, and for incl dental expenses of said convention"
 In regard to this I shall say first That 1t would have been more in ac cordance with the interests of the peo pie to have allowed the delegates 2 reasonable compensation as mileage and let them pay their "actual travel ing expenses" out of 1t. Then the convention would be relieved at once of the embarrassing task of equalizins the diet and mode of travelling of the several delegates--a duty which would almost certainly devolve upon them
 Besides, the mileage is the more popular system of the two and i abused can more readily be shown uE to the public, and again the bushes: of equalizing the actual travelling ex pe1ses" might result in fillibusterine that would consume much valuable time, which is very properly limited to thirty days.
 And secondly: l would still urge { clause of limitation for "incidental ex penses." Being unlimited this clause is open to as much abuse as any whicl have heretofore mentioned.
 And thirdly: I would still urgt again that the pay of the officers bc designated at limit fixed beyond which they could not go.
 The bill as above quoted allow their officers such "compensation a they may deem just"
 Now in the name of the people protest agaInst any such laws whicl tend to tempt our public men to vot' themselves extravagant pay. Thi clause leaves it open for the conven ton to pay their officers what the, might choose and as we have alread, seen they can employ as many a they choose.
 Now then I hope the reader vii not pass by this without giving it { thought. Suppose the delegates shoul' employ an unreasonable number 0 clerks and elect a superabundance o other officers, and make their re quisitions on the treasury for unreason able pay for said officers and clerks understanding of course to divide tn spells among themselves, how are " going to prevent it? The law give them this power.
 The reader may begin to think b this time that I am very mistrustfu of my fellowmen. Not at all. On tn whole l think our citizens are as patr otic and as desirous of the publl veal as I. But know we have man, interruptions politicians whose ir terest in politics goes no further tha : personal gain-they would sell them selves and their party and the best in terests of their country for few paltr ? dollars. they are evar on tha alnrt fO