Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-10-11

AS IL Illc o<COuu ACtASOAs ~ AAAssy -
well to remember, in estimating the
QUALIFICATION OF MEMBERS
of the present Legislature for this
kind of work, that hitherto, from 1776
| to 1872, constitutions have been made
and revised by bodies especially
chosen for that purpose, containing al
ways some of the very ablest men OF
| the State and generally composed OF
men fitted by natural ability or spe-
| cial training for the task before them.
Each of these bodies has been such as,
on a whole, that it could be pointed to
| with pride by all patriotic citizens as
| fairly representing the highest virtue
and intelligence Of the State. Can
| anything like this be said of the pres
ent Legislature? Does it contain a
single member of Statewide reputa-
ton as a legislator? If an ordinary
we'll informed citizen were required to
make fairly extensive. list of such as
| are prominent in the different employ
ments and professions, would it con-
tain a half dozen members of either
| house? A very considerable
KNOWLEDGE OF LAW
| is essential in the revision of any
complex legal instrument. Is there a
single member of either house known
| through the State as first class law
yer? Suppose the people were called
| upon to select, without reference to
| politics, a body for the specific pur-
pose of overhauling and revising the
State Constitution, how many of the
present members would be returned?
| Take the two largest counties in the
| State-Kanawha and Ohio-let them
vote on the proposition; will an unpre-
| JUDGED citizen of either county pre-
| tend for moment that single mem
Der of the House of Delegates would
be returned? 1t is not intended here
to reflect upon the character of any
member of either house as to honesty or
capacity in ordinary everyday affairs,
| but it is insisted that they are gener-
ally far from being such men as would
| be chosen if the object known to be in
view was the general revision of the
Constitution?
But if the capacity were not lack
ing, the voters
HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXPECT
on principles of common honesty that
the Legislature should refrain from
the usurpation of functions it was not
elected to discharge. Surely the peo-
pie ought to be consulted in some de-
gree before mourning the enormous
expenditure involved in an extra ses-
sion of the Legislature, and the print
| ing and publishing at length of various
and sundry amendments. What this
| expense would amount to can only be
onjectured-probably to 100000. 1t
| is difficult to see where this money is
| to come from the aggregate OF ap-
preparations made at the last session
were in excess of the average Legis-
! lature. There has been no material
| increase in tax values within the last
| few years to bring up the revenue. and
if the retiring Democrats did not leave
considerable available balance on
! hand the Satte treasury will
HAVE TO BE REPLENISHED
by an increase in the tax rate. 1t
really looks to an outsider as if the
| incoming party had found itself con-
fronted with an inconvenient surplus
and was playing at Constitutional re-
vision as one Of the pleasant ways Of
| Cissipating it.
AS to whether the Constitution is
really in need of any changes, it may
be said that among the many amend
ments which have been discussed some
are too trivial to justify the necessary
| expense. AS to others, the abolition Of
| the irreducable school fund, for in
stance, there is still too much differ
ence of opinion; while some questions,
such as methods Of taxation,
REQUIRE FOR THEIR SOLUTION
far more capacity and study than has
yet been brought to their considera-
| ton. On the other hand, there seems
to be a pretty general concensus of
opinion that the number of Supreme
Court judges should be five instead of
four, to avoid the anomalous state Of
| things that sometimes arises from an
equally divided court; and it is gen.
! orally conceded that the present meth
cd of appeals from justices of the peace
to Circuit Courts is too rigid and
technical, and should be so changed as
to allow all the matters in contro-
versy to be tried in the upper court
as if the case had been brought there
afresh.
AS for the points ripe for amend
ment, the Legislature could easily at
its regular session have prepared the
proper amendments for submission at
the election of next fall without incur
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