Evening star., 1894-04-11
ATTACKING THE SENATE
The Peculiar Petition Mr.. Martin Has Had
Printed.
Ten Amendments to the Constitution
gressiOnal Junkets.

1t is not often that the dignified and dec
orous Senate prints and circulates an at
tack upon itself. There has, however, ac-
tually been printed and placed in the per-
manent files of the Senate a petition intro
duced by Senator Martin in behalf Of the
petitioner which is most irreverent and even
slanderous of the Senate. The petitioner SUBJ
mits ten amendments to the Constitution,
and bracketed between each proposition
are comments calculated to give most seri-
Gus offense to the Senate. The petition
reads:
THE undersigned, a native citizen of the
republic, respectively asks to have submit
ted to the state for ratification ten suitably
framed sections as amendments to the Con-
stitution, of the following import. to wit:
L. Elections by popular vote of President,
Vice President and United States Sena-
tors: and ineligibility of the President for
reelection.
'CIhis would put quietus upon the 'pi-
votal state chicanery, wherewith office
holders, under executive orders, now ma
nipuate the selection of minority candi-
dates; and would also put stop to the
scandalous purchase of senatorial seats
from corrupt legislatures)
III. Expenditures and annual liabilities to
pe limited to sum not exceeding 81 per
capita OF the population, except in war.
iNotnlhS less viii ever cure the satur-
mana or profiigate extravaganza and public
plunder, which log-rolling combines and
committee-room jobbery have reduced to a
system, that has become a serious menace
to the republic)
III. Uniform duties upon all imported
commodities not to exceed 10 per cent Of
actual values, and no other federal taxa
ton except graduated levies upon incomes
and decedent estates above 1880.
''(W ealth, instead of humble Ia hor yUould
then bear, as 1t ought, the bulk of federal
taxation. The small surplus earnings of
the Industrious poor would not as now. be
swept away by levies cunningly devised
upon their living necessities; and the un-
taxed billions of the idle rich would no
! longer remain exempt, to the scandal of
republican government In no other way
can the masterpieces of iniquity' and the
sums of all villainy,' which diSfigure the
Morrill, and Mckinley tariff schedules be
effectually eradicated or an end be put to
the chronic congressional bribery in favor
of special interests)
Nv. The entire money creating func-
tion should be exclusively resumed by the
Congress: the unlimited mintage OF gold
and silver into legal tender coin of con-
venient denominations should be made COM
pulsory, and a complete and eternal di-
vorcement of government from banks and
pecuniary corporations be decreed. The
issuing of interest-bearing bonds in time Of
peace should be absolutely forbidden.
"CThe several provisions would rescue the
government from the clutches of the money
changing. stock-jobbing, bond d-monge ring
would save millions annually to the over
taxed people, and purify the public service
beyond computation)
Official Junkets.
"V. All government commissions boards
superfluous bureaus, retired lists double
pay rolls, travelling Pinkertons, official
junkets, special agents and examiners, de-
partment trustees, roaming inquests. ct
hoe genus omne. should be unceremonious-
ly squelched, and be rendered hereafter
impossible. Every species of government
business should be placed with regular
| officers, having stated tenurcs under good
bonds. with fixed pay, and clearly defined
statutory duties.
"Crhere are many thousands of the bar
nacles above named-all useless and most
ly pernicious-the fungoid growth of the
last thirty years, constituting, in the ag
gregate, a lot of peculating vermin, who
annually squander many millions of the
peoples taxes for mere personal advan-
tage)
"Note.-Here are some of these fads:
| Commissions to reform the Mormon re-
! ligion; to prevent seal hunting; to manipu-
late parks; to manage grave yards; to
deepen rivers; to regulate Chelp) railroad
steal5 to gather labor statistics; to watch
strikes: to ticket (and swindle) emigrants;
| to persecute contract laborers; to bonn
bard the sky for rain; to guess at the
weather; to muddle tariff reform: 20 pro-
mote irrigation; to monkey with the civil
service (humbug); to inspect city slums:
to discover the north pole; to investigate
child labor; to colonize Kongo Africa: to
reclaim Death Valley to develop fish
breeding; to dig foreign canals; to navigate
the Dead sea; to teach forestry (by de-
stroying the forestsl; to hunt geological
curios: to dicker with Indians: to fire out
the Chinese 0he meanest business ever
undertaken): to demonetiZe silver: tinker
broken banks: to run sugar works: to cap-
ture deposed queen; to doctor live stock;
to educate heather; to build air ships, &C.,
&c, &c.
Several other special agencies are threat
ened. and are sure to come, of the follow
ing import: To rectify msfit marriages; to
superntend infant baptism: to dilute lager
beer and watch the whisky trust; suppress
| puts and calls in the Srain pit: to ma
tionalize divorce to improve country roads
to adopt woman's suffrage; to put God in
the Constitution to corral the Pacific ocean;
/ to expand hoop-skirts automatically; to
bottle electricity. and run corners on in
| finite space. What a congressional COM
mission can't tackle would be invisible to
Paul Pry. Uncle Sam has forty thousand
unnecessary employees at an average cost
| of S2.0l0 each-Or a useless swag of eight
millions annually.
other Reforms.
"VI. All postmasters should be elected
for stated terms by the people of the civil
| townships in which they are located.
"CThis would largely reduce the most
corrupting and perplexing part of executive
patronage and keep these important offices
nearer the people. whose vital interests
they serve)
WI. All life offices should be abolished
the presidential patronage largely restrict
ed. sinecures prohibited, nepotism be made
criminal, official salaries (from President
| to janitor) slashed one-half, and approxi-
mated with those of ordinary business; and
| impeachment prescribed for officials who
| accept free passes or other gratuities In
the line of public duties.
! "CThis would cure the offlce-seeking ma
/ ria, because Office holding would cease to
be excessively lucrative, in proportion to
| other employments and the public inter
estS would be better served when not in
| competition with those of place-h hunters
scrambling for exceptionally profitable
work.
VIII. Each Congress should assemble
within sixty days after it's election. and
no leave of absence be allowed except for
| sickness. No member thereof should be
eligible to any federal Office by appoint
ment for four years after his election. Re
| fusal to answer on roll call should be pun
| sshed by expulsion. Single districts should
| be prescribed, of uniform population and
| in square form as near as possible An
affirmative vote of all members should be
| required to pass law or resolution. and