The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-06

az
other state officer. may be elected by the
people, he must have more votes than those
cast fer all other candidates combined. IL
no candidate thus receives majority Of all
the votes tho election devolves upon the
legislature in joint session. Inasmuch as the
Prohibition party and the Labor party in
Connecticut have for many years cast sew
eral thousand votes, the democratic candi-
dates for state officers in 1854, 1886 and 1888
had somewhat fewer than majority of all
the votes cast for those officers. though
their pluralities over their re-
publican competitors were large In all
three OF those years. But the legislatures
OF those years, by reason Of the great inc
quality OF representation therein, were re-
publican in both branches; and they elected
the republican candidates for all the state
offices. la 1890, the democratic candidate
for all the state offices, except governor.
had undeniable majorities over all other
candidates; while the democratic candidates
for governor had a plurality Of over 5000
over his republican competitor, and a ma
Jority of 20 on the face of the returns over
all other candidates. The repub
lican leaders in the legislature
commended that this majority
OF 20 was only an apparent one; and that
re1udgment Of all the valid and void votes
In the ballot-boxes would show that the
democratic candidate for governor lacked a
little OF majority. The democratic lead
ers in the Legislature claimed that no one
had any jurisdiction to rejudge the valid
and void votes in the ballot-boxes, because
the law made the judgment OF the modera-
tors in the various towns final on that sub
ject And the democratic leaders also
claimed that IL it we're possible to
re1udge and recount all of the votes
in the ballot-boxes, the majority of
namnrFafin ali 10
state offices would be found to be decidedly
larger than their apparent majorities on
the face OF the returns. Under these issues
the democratic Senate declared the demo-
cratic candidates for all the state offices
elected, while the republican House declared
the democratic candidate for one of those
state offices TO be elected, and the democratic
candidates for the others of those state off,
ces to be not elected. The old republican in
cumbents OF the offices as to which the repub-
loan House refused to make a declaration
OF election claimed and practically emf reed
power to hold over after the expiration Of
the terms for which they we're elected,
though this power was not expressly con-
ferred upon them by the constitution, be-
cause they were not originally elected by
the people, but only by the legislature OF
1889; and because the hold-over provision of
the Connecticut constitution is expressly
The Connecticut statutes provide that the
business affairs OF each Of the eight counties
in the state shall be managed by a board of
three county commissioners, and that those
county commissioners shall be elected by
the legislature. And the Connecticut oou-
stitutlon provides that the judges of all the
important state courts shall be elected by
the legislature. In pursuance of this power
republican legislatures have for many years
Of
made up wholly Of republicans, upon all the
republican counties In the state. The
supreme court Of Connecticut consists OF
five judges and the superior
court OF eight judges, though there is at
present one vacancy on the supreme bench
and two on the superior bench. All of the
supreme judges we're elected by the legisla-
ture of 1889. and all but one are repub-
licans. while all of the superior judges but
one we're elected by the legislature aud all
but two are republicans. All of the seven
republican judges were elected by the leg
islature and majority Of them have for
many years been active, practical politl-
oians with all that that designation implies.
or course both the United States senators
from Connecticut are republicans and both
have been republicans since the administra-
ton Of President Hayes
These details show precisely how IL is
that in one of the original states of the
union all the powers OF government are
welded, and for more than decade have
been welded. like rod Of iron by mi-
nority OF the electors. though tho minority Is
outnumbered by thousands, by one other
political party i'll the state, and is outnum-
bcred by additional thousands by all the
other political parties In the state COM
bined.
The Democratic party of Connecticut has
long been looking for some remedy for this
undemocratic condition of governmental
affairs. OF course that remedy can only be
secured by some amendment to the consti-
tuition OF the state. But no amendment to
the constitution can be secured except by a
vote Of both branches OF the legislature be-
fore It's submission TO the people; and the
republican members of the legislature have
persistently refused for many years TO allow
auy amendment To go before the people
which shall tend to loosen their hold upon
the powers OF government either by pro-
vidlng that plurality of the voters may
elect state officers, or by providing that the
present inequalities Of representation in
the two branches of the legislature shall
be diminished. There Is no hope whatever
that any Connecticut legislature, until it is
democratic IN both branches, will ever
again allow the people Of Connecticut to
govern themselves, as other states are gov
erned, by the SURFACES OF the larger part OF
the votes Of the state. Until the Demo-
cratic party outRrows the Republic n party
as to be able to elect majority Of both
branches of the legislature. notwithstand-
ing the fiagrantly unequal apportioDment
OF representation In both those branches. a
government OF the people, by the people
and for the people in this ancient state, will
be non-existent in substance, however APP
parently present in form.
ALBERT II. WALKER.