Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1897-04-29


Sc thero was substantial equivalenoy
* requirement for local governmental
action. Now there is no such equiva-
iouoy and differentiation has become an
absolutely essential government prin-
clyde
That q city like Memphis or Nash
vile, or those Of like Importance, should
Be subjected to an antiquated contriv-
aDee like our county courts Is monstrous
Whsn VIC come to think Of IL, and the
eic1s mightcome when revolution would
5e q just remedy, II thoro were no other
90 Do rid Of such a burlesque upon mu-
ateipal agencies. 1t might be better to
SO free city" Every dollar paid by
a citizen OF Memphis to county taxation
Is an extortion and tribute to an ex-
ebaQuer controlled by other people than
Gke urban population. II wo should con-
trsbate to the building Of adjacent roads
ogt into the country let the proper pro-
portion be fixed and paid by appropriate
faw. The county should not contribute
10 orr criminal costs or like expenses,
uOr we TO theirs; we should have city
pgisons they county prisons; we city
courts, they county courts; and so on to
The end. Or at least we should have the
po~er at Nashville to regulate by law
ala these details according to our condi-
elons, and there should be no so-called
constitutional hindrances in all the vast
d9@Sia Of local administration to each
locality, according to its wants.
We want constitutional convention
- smash the shackles of so-called con-
sSsu tional restrictions upon the SUI
pgeORacy of the people in their recurring
General Assemblies more than we want
St Eor any other purpose, We want to
get away from the fads of conceited
snen who think they can govern by
constitutional law" better than the
coming people can govern by statute
law" Our constitutions have become
hQge statutes that are inconVenient,
cunbrous, oppressive and often little
Gess than ludicrous in their operation
because 1.-THE wisdom Of our fathers"
has become demonstrated ignorance to
the wiser sons who know OF things the
Gathers never knew, as we'll as in the
science of government as in other
ahings. An irrepealable bill of rights
IS about all we actually need in the way
OF a constitution and to that furnished
as by our ancestors we have added
scarcely anything OF value.
Connecticut got along for nearly fifty
gears after the Declaration OF Independ-
aace without any constitution other
chan lis charter from King Charles IL ,
and a bill Of rights expressed in less
chan two hundred words.
II we reverse the idea Of deyising new
'sangled constitutional restrictions and
set about looping off most that modern
,cranks have imposed upon US there
might be some improvement in our
Legislative activities. possibility
90 a now existing or then present public
opinion is all we can get last out oil
government, and the best we need to
get. Mistakes can DO corrected and
wise laws be perpetuated only by that
Cubic opinion.s Let US have a consti-
tutional convention to rid ourselves Of
TOO much constitution, and II we keeI
the cranks and reformers who have nc
confidence in popular government out OIL
the convention we need not fear the re-
cult. II we start with an understanding
chat we are to have as little constitution
and as much freedom of action for the
people as possible, the fear that "the
convention will do some fool thing" will
be reduced to the minimum. As it /,
now, the ''shipo state" called '"Tsnnes
see" cuts the most pitiable figure Of the
whole feet that floats upon the seas o
constitutional navigation. We ough
to put her into the dry docks to clear
che foul bottom, if nothing else.
e s. HAMMOND.
March 3, 1897.