The record-union., 1892-10-11
WHY AMENDMENT XII. SHOULD
FAIL.


We have in previous articles given sub
stantial reasons for opposing the adop-
ton of Constitutional Amendment No.
IL. 1t proposes to increase the salary of
the lieutenant Governor to $4,000 year
and make him inspector of all State in
stitutions and all institutions aided by
the State. In addition to his salary he is
to have his travelling expenses. To these
there is no limit except in his good pleas
ure; they would certainly not fall below
$1,000 a year, and thus we would have
$1,000 more year saddled upon the tax
payers.
Mr.. E. G. Waite, occupying the position
Of Secretary of State, in personal and
unofficial letter concurs in opposing this
proposed amendment, and the points he
makes are quite the same as those taken
by the RECORD UNION in our first arti-
cles. But they are somewhat differently
stated and include one new one of much
imp ortance-that is, that the duty i'm
ant, and that the appointing power can
always better select such person than
can be done at the polls and through po-
litical agencies.
The other reasons are, that no guaran-
tee can be given that any candidate for
Lieutenant-G will possess the
dual qualification of capacity as Lieuten-
ant-Governor and ex officio President of
the Senate, and ability to supervise asy-
lums and institutions supported in whole
or in part by the State; that no such Office
of examiner or supervisor Of charities
should be related to politics; that to adopt
the amendment will throw all these in
stitutions into the political field to con-
tend for favorite candidates.
At the last session of the Legislature
the RECoRD-UNIoN urged the passage of
bill creating a Board Of Charities and
Correction, similar to boards of that char
acter in nearly all the older States in the
Union. These boards are philanthropic
in conception and makeup; they serve
without salary charge to the State; they
are closely related throughout the Union
in annual conventions; exchange expert
ences and counsel concerning the econo-
mics of State charities, the conduct of
penal institutions, the best methods for
reformatories, the systems in orphanages,
etc.
A Commission of Charities and Correc-
ton in California would report to the Ex
ecutive and the Legislature every fact es-
sential for them to to be informed upon,
and would be free from political manipu-
lation, or sectarian control, since they are
always composed of citizens distinguished
for public spirit, philanthropic endeavor
and moral independence.
However this idea of commission
may strike the mind, there ought to be
but one opinion concerning the proposed
amendment that Mr.. Waite in letter to
the press pronounces bad, and which is
unquestionably intended as sop to polit-
cal bosses, and is another means of en-
tangling State-aided institutions with
partisan schemes.
The system under which the Lieuten-
snt-Governor was made Warden of the
State Prisons was conspicuous instance
of the unwisdom of electing an officer to
a Legislative and honorary position, and
making him ex officio the instrument..for
the discharge of duties calling for techni-
cal knowledge, special skill, undivided
attention and non-partisan and perfectly
impartial spirit. California abandoned
that system after many years of trial, and
it is fair to rank that experiment as par
allel with that proposed under the sug-
gested amendment.