The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-04-23
lcoNrINurp rnoM rnlnp rAor.l

lCoNTINUED FROM THIRD PAGE.l
at there was substantial equivalency
Of requirement for local governmental
;nction. Now there is no such equiva-
Eency and differentiation has become an
ahBoIGtely essential government prin-
Gjpte.
That a city like Memphis or Nash
willie, or those of like Importance, should
Be subjected to an antiquated contriv-
@ncs like our county courts is monstrous
when we come to think of it, and the
cims uightcome wheE revolution would
8e Just remedy, if there were no other
10 be rid of such burlesque upon mu-
Eicipal agencies. 1t might be better to
Dc Stree CITY," Every dollar paid by
a citizen of Memphis to county taxation
ia an extortion and tribute to an ex-
Ghequer controlled by other people than
-4he urban population. If wo should con-
'4ributo to the building of adjacent roads
cut into the country let the proper pro-
portion be fixed and paid by appropriate
law. The county should not contribute
10 cue criminal costs or like expenses,
nOg we to theirs; we should have city
prisons. they county prisons; we city
courts, they county courts; and so on to
she end. Or at least we should have the
power at Nashville to regulate by law
RII tdese details according to our condi-
lions, and there should be no so-called
constitutional hindrances in all the vast
domain of local administration to each
locality, according to its wants.
We want constitutional convention
20 smash the shackles of so-called con-
2titutional restrictions upon the SUI
pEemAcy of the people in their recurring
General Assemblies more than we want
&C for any other purpose. We want to
get away from the fads OF conceited
Ten who think they can govern by
constitutional law" better than the
comiHg people can govern by statute
law" Our constitutions have become
hugo statutes that are inconvenient,
canbrous, oppressive and often little
Less than ludicrous in their operation
because "the wisdom of our fathers
haa become demonstrated ignorance to
the wiser sons who know of things the
Fathers never knew, as we'll as in the
acieHce of government as in other
thiHgs. An irrepealable bill of rights
SIS about all we actually need in the way
of constitution and to that furnish ed
us by our ancestors we have added
scarcely anything Of value.
Connecticut got along for nearly fifty
years after the Declaration of Independ
enre without any constitution othel
than its charter from King Charles II.
and bill of rights expressed in less
than two hundred words.
~ we reverse the idea Of devising new
tangled constitute restrictions ant
net about looping off most that modern
cEanks have imposed upon us there
might be some Improvement in ou
legislative activities. Responsibility
70 now existing or then present publ,
opinion is all we can get last out o
government and the best we need t.
get Mistakes can be corrected ant
wise laws be perpetuated only by tina
pmblic opinion. Let US have a consti
tutioual convention to rid ourselves o
too much constitution, and If we kee
the cranks and reformers who have n
confidence in popular government out o
the convention we need not fear the re
suit II we start with an understandin,
chat we are to have as little constitution
and as much freedom Of action for tn
people as possible, the fear that 9Th
convention will do some fool thing" will
be reduced to the minimum. As it i
now, the ship ct state" called themes
sse" cuts the most pitiable figure of TIL
whole deet that floats upon the seas G
cOnstitu tional navigation. We ough
TO put her into the dry docks to clea
Ghe foul bottom, If nothing else.
4 S. HAMMOND.
March n 1907