Morning journal and courier., 1893-01-05
GOVERNOR MORRIS, MESSAGE.

Stage Coach Constitution The
Method OF Choosing County Conn |
mfsstoners-Pur1ty Of Elections and |
Purity ofLegislation-Other Matters !
of Interest. |
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the |
General Assembly.
In state that has existed for so many
years and has had so many general assem-
blies to make its law, it would seem at
first thought that its laws must be nearly
perfect and that very little legislation re-
NAMED to be done. But when we consider
the great changes that have taken place
during the present century In the methods
of doing business, the manner of travel,
the occupations of the people, and their
ways of living, We find the need for new
legislation, for new lave, and the amend
ments of the old laws, which in their day
were adapted to the wants of the people,
but which, by reason of the great changes
which have taken place, have become
either obsolete or unsuitable for the pres
emit time. In the early part of this century
the occupations of the people of Con
necticut were principally agricultural.
for local needs. Steam as a motive
power was undeveloped; electricity as a
means of comm nnicatlon was unknown.
SO far as public conveyances were con-
cerned, sailing vessels upon the navigable
waters and stage coaches upon the high
ways answered the purposes of the people.
But with the introduction of steam and
electricity the methods and occupations of
the people have greatly changed. Instead
of being an agricultural people the inhab
itants of the etste have become engaged
largely in manufacturing. Formerly bus
mess was conducted for the most part by
ind x1fl 1o h oil o,,I
the market for produce raised and goods
manufactured was strictly home mar
ket Now business is done by large cor
poratiops, and the market for goods man
ufactured has extended over the world.
These great changes in the manner of do
ing business have called for alterations in
our laws, and still call for further legisla-
ton. 1t becomes an important duty for
you to consider these changes and to 60
legislate az to meet the present require
ments of the people. In this connection, I
call your special attention to the great
need Of a constitutional convention to re-
wise the organic law of this state.
THE CONSTITUTION.
We are living under a constitution
which was adopted during the stage coach
era, when the people were generally en-
gagged in agriculture and the population
of tho atate was much more evenly die
tribute d among the several towns than at
present. Their wants were similar, and
the constitution when adopted was suit
able for their condition at that time.
With the changes in pursuits and meth
| DDS Of business, there has arisen great in
| equality in the population of the several
towns. In some the population has d..
| creaaed, in others 1t has largely increased
| aud different interests have arisen, SO tina,
| the representation given to the several
| towns when the constitution was adopted
| aud which was then substantially equa
aud just, has become very unequal and
unjust. To illustrate this, if we refer te
the population of the several towns of this
state, as shown by the census of 1890, We
shall find that towns having less than one
seventh part of the population of the state
elect majority of the house of represen
tatives, and therefore lave more politica
power than the remaining six seventies,
The mere statement of this fact alon.
would seem to be enough to prove the neeo
of constitutional revision. But if srgu
ment is needed, let us briefly note the evil
| which result from this unequal representa-
ton. By article II Of the constitution tn
powers of the government are divided int
three distinct departments; the legislative
the executive aud the judicial. Butby ex
I animation We shall find that all these de
partments have become to great extern
merged into one, to wit, the Legislative
where, as we have shown, the houss O
representatives is controlled by member
who represent less than one seventh par
of the population of the state. As to tn
ext cutive department the constitution pro
vides that the state officers, in order t.
be elected by the people, must hava
majority over all opposing candidates
and failing in this, the election o
state officers - the executive depart
nent goes to the legislative de
partment where, as we have shown,
majority of the house is elected by les
than one, seventh part of the people of tn
state. At the present time, when there ar
80 many parties in the field, the probable
one candidate majority over all, and tina
the election of the executive department
will devolve upon the legislative depart
ment, and by actual experience in this stat
we know that such is generally the resul
| and that in fact the executive department
has become largely vested in and depend
ent upon the legislative department. Nov
with the legislative department constitutes
as we have shown and with the executiv
department elected by the legislative de
partment, let US examine the judicis
department. The constitution provide
shat judges of our higher courts shall b
nominated by the governor and appointed
by the general assembly-that is, the legis
istive department.
| Thus we see that with governor elected
by the legislative department, members Of
the judicial department are nominated by
him. and are appointed by the same legis
lative department.. Thus to great extern
We find that under our defective constitu
ton the three departments of government
are merged in one-the legislative depart
ment. The trainers of the original consti
tuition did not intend this, but intended
that the three departments should be KEEP
separate This condition of things ha.
arisen through the patchwork of amend
ments that has been attached to the origi
nal constitution, and through the change
in population and pursuits of the people
In speaking of the legislative department
I have alluded more particularly to tn
house of representatives. The senate il
but little, if any, better, 30 far as popu1a
represe ntstion is concerned; although i
sas intended by the trainers of the consti
tuition to be more closely based upon popu
lstion than the house. But the provision
Of the constitution to the effect that NJ
town shall be divided in forming senatorial
districts, and that every county shall hav'
at least two senatorial districts, have mad
the senate anything but body based upo1
popular representation, and we see to ds,
that there are two counties having fou
senators, and one town with a population
30 per cent. greater than these two couu
ties which has but one senator. These de
fects in the constitution cannot be remed
led by amendments. Twenty-eight amend
ments to the constitution have alread,
been adopted, with the effect Of making
that instrument obscure, ambiguous ant
uncertain. We find it necessary as oftel
| our statutes, in order that the laws ma,
be made Ineligible. But the constitution
with its various amendments adopted dur
ing the last seventy-four yeare, has no
been revised.
If We are to retain popular government
in Connecticut the constitution should b
80 changed that the votes of the people q
cast on election day should have their full
effect. 1t is seldom that the executiv
officers of this state are those who bav
received plurality of the peoples votes
In forty of the forty four states of tn
Union plurality vote elects the state off
GERS. In every state admitted into tn
Union during the present century plural
ity vote elects. In this state the pluralit
vote elects the presidential electors. mem
bers of congress, state senators and repre-
sentatives, sheriffs and judges of probate
No good reason can be shown why the OK
eoutive officers of the state should not b
elected by a plurality vote. In no othe
| way can the votes of the people be give1