The Advocate and news., 1898-08-24

b THE WAGE GARNER
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Art. 2 Of the State constitution, which
provides that no bill shall contain more
than one subject, which shall be clearly
expressed in its title. Counsel for ap-
pellant say that reading Of this title
shows the subject Of the legislation Is
to secure to laborers the payment Of
their wages, not necessarily in money,
but in anything or in any manner, or
at any time the parties choose to fix.
Reading the act itself, it is clear that
it's object is to require each corporation
which employs ten or more persons to
pay the wages OF It's employees in money
or in checks or drafts drawn against
bank deposits of money, by declaring
any other mode or kind OF payment un-
lawful. The phrase, to secure, Is not
used in the sense of to give security
In the Century dictionary, to obtain
and to give are given as synonyms Of
the verb, to secure; while In the Stand
ard dictionary get, obtain and attain
are given as its synonyms. One defini-
tion OF to attain given in Webster's
International dictionary Is to procure.
One OF the meanings Of to secure given
in AndersOn's Dictionary Of Law is to
procure. The word payment Is thus de-
fined in the Century dictionary: The
act Of paying; the delivery of money as
payment In the course Of business
"In Bouvier's Law Dictionary (15th
edition), under the word payment, it is
said: 1T is now the law for all classes
Of citizens that payment must be made
by money, unless the obligation is, by
the terms of the instrument creating 1t,
to be discharged by other means Ra-
pale and LawrenCe's Law Dictionary
thus defines payment: "A transfer Of
money from one person (the payor) to
another (the payee).' Worcester defines
the word wages as follows: In ordi-
nary language the term wages is usually
employed to designate the sums paid to
persons hired to perform manual labor.
Employing some Of the foregoing def
nitions, the title under consideration
may be read, An act to procure, get, or
obtain for laborers the payment Of their
wages in money, etc. To secure con-
veys the idea of certainty Of the hold
which one gets or obtains. 1t is this
certainty which the present law intends
to bring about Such intention is
plainly manifest in the language en-
ployed In the title. In Sutherland on
Stat. Constr, Sec. 81, it Is said the title
must state the subject Of the act for the
purpose Of information to the members
OF the Legislature and the public while
the bill Is going through the forms Of
enactment. 1t Is not required that the
title should be exact and precise. 1t is
sufficient If the language used in the
title, ON a fair construction, indicates
the purpose Of the Legislature to legis-
late according to constitutional provis-
ions; so that, making every reasonable
intendment in favor Of the act, it may
be said that the subject or object of the
law is expressed in the title And
again: When the subject is stated in
the title the constitution is so far COM
piled with that no criticism Of the mode
Of statement will affect the validity Of
the act. The statute Is valid in such a
case; the degree Of particularly in ex-
pressing the subject in the title Is left
| to the discretion Of the Legislature
No particular form of words has been
| prescribed in the constitution for ex-
pressing the subject or purpose Of the
statute In its title. 1t need not index
the details OF the act nor give a synop-
sis Of the means by which the object Of
the statute is to be effectuated by the
provisions in the body of the act. These
propositions are amply supported by
the authorities cited in the notes to
that section.
1T is evident that the title of the act
is broader than the act itself as limited
by section thereof, but this does not
invalidate the act Sutherland Stat.
Constr, Sec. 81, and cases there cited
ut is contended that the act is repug-
nant to Sec. Of the fourteenth amend
ment to the constitution of the United
States, wherein it is provided that no
State shall deprive any person of life,
liberty or property without due process
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