The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-04-30
BLlTCH'S REFORM MEASURES
AN EFFORT TO CHECK THE PREVAILING
SPIRIT OF ExTRAvAaANcE.
a Bill for an Amendment to the Con-
stitution Investing the Railroad Com
mission With Judicial Powers
Legislative Work.
peeial Correspondence ocala Banner.


TALLAHASSEE, April 27.-The ses
sion is nearly half over, and 1t would
be difficult TO discover anything Of
Importance that has been done.
have endeavored to stem the rising
tide of extravaganza, which is this
year running stronger than ever in
certain directions, bu: with what sue
cess | viii leave my constituents TO
infer from the following data:
Among the measures l have intro
'duced may be enumerated the follow
ing:
a memorial to congress providing
for such constitutional changes as will
bring about the popular election of
United States senator. This measure
has been adopted by the senate, but
has yet to run the gauntlet of the
lower house.
An amendment to the state consti-
tuition clothing with judicial power
the railroad commissioners, in so far as
regards all matters pertaining to the
functions of their Office. This amend
ment has not yet been reported from
the committee, but it has behind it a
strong and aggressive sentiment.
A constitutional amendment abol-
ishing the Office of county treasurer
and another providing for the popular
election of county commissioners.
l have also introduced bill provid-
ing for the erection of county poor
houses and poor farms. This measure
has passed the senate.
This comprises the more important
measures | have thus far introduced.
1t will be observed that as rule they
are calculated to enlarge the powers
of the people and sensibly curtail that
of the politicians and place-hunters.
look upon the popular election of
United States senators as one of the
most important measures that has
yet been brought before the people of
this country, and as a step in the di-
rection of democracy more practical,
valuable and genuine, than any our
nation has yet seen.
Something Of the same sort may be
said of the popular election of our
county commissioners. This change
strikes directly at the root of the chief
evil in the political system of our
state, and should my amendment pre-
vail, it will do more to place our coun-
ty governments directly in the hands
of the people than anything that
could be devised. Personally, l am in
favor of the popular nomination, as
well as the election, of all public off,
cials.
/ have referred to the prevailing
spirit of extravaganza to be noted
here. 1t has always been bad enough,
but for the last few sessions there has
been a slight change for the better in
this direction. This session, however,
the spirit of extravaganza seems to
have broken forth with renewed vio-
lence, and the unholy passion for
COMMITTEE clerks" seems to have
again taken possession of the MEM
bers.
The special channel in which the
party pap is running this year seems
to be that of special investigating
committees. What this meals may
be Inferred from the investigation
list, many of which are superflous, and
some of which with only probably in
genious appliances for the application
of legislative whitewash.
This list of committees is formida-
BILE one, and it is safe to say that at
least one third of them are superfiu-
Gus. 1t is just now impossible to say
how many of these committees are
supplied with clerks at S. day, but
that all, or nearly all, of them will
eventually be utilized in the payment
of political debts goes without saying
to those who know anything of polit-
zeal methods prevailing in this state.
When it is said that these commit.
tee clerks receive S. per day, let no
Marion county farmer, scratching for
dear life the soil of his homestead from
dawn to dark for living-let no such
man, 1 say, imagine that the phrase,
"a days work." conveys to these po-
litical parasites any such meaning as
It does to him and his children. Many
of these committee clerks never work
at all; many more only work few
hours day.
It is conditions such as these against
which the honest member has to con-
tend. These strikers surround him
on every side, and many of the com
mittees formed are less for the public
service than the benefit of the clerks.
Another evil of the legislature is the
presence of the lobbyist-a class OF
men sent here to log-roll measures
through, by fair means or foul, with
ont reference to the public welfare.
The town is full of these doubtful
characters. They infest the lobbies'
decorate the street corners, and bring
revenue into the bar-rorms, which are
always open, except on Sundays,
There never has been rotten and
dangerous bill before this Legislature
that agents have not been sent here to
procure its passage, and should the in
side history of the Florida Legislature
for the last twenty years ever be told
the unwritten journal of the thirc
house will prove startling revelation
BITCH.