The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-22

United States, and will faithfully perform
their official duties. A large number Oh
States, including New York, Illinois,
Nebraska and Montana, also add an oath
of the following import: Il soemnly swear
that I have not paid or contributed, or
promised to pay or contribute. either dl-
rectly or indirectly, any money or other
valuable thing. to procure my nomination
or election, except for necessary and
proper expenses. expressly allowed by law;
that I have not Knowingly violated any
election law Of this State. or procured 1t
to be done by others IN my behalf; that
will not knowingly receive. directly or in
directly any money or other valuable
thing for the performance or non-per-
Torrance of any act or duty pertaining to
my office, other than the compensation al
lowed by law. So help me Cod
To this is generally added that any mem
Der refusing to take the oath thereby va
Gates his office, and any member violating
his oath shnll be deemed guilty of per-
jury and punished accordingly. and shall
be ever thereafter disqualified from hold
ing any public Office. Mississippi strikes
at the very root of legislative Ills by add
ing to the oath: II will not vote for any
measure or person because of a promise
of any other member of this legislature to
vote for my measure or person. or as
So It is often said that official oaths
amount to nothing. But such oaths as
are given above at least set a nigh stand
ard of political honor and call the ntten-
ton of the legislator to that standard I'M
der circumstances most likely to impress.
PRIVATE INTERESTS DISCLOSED.
An unusual provision of State constitu-
tons notably absent from our own is that
when member has 4 personal or private
interest in a bill he shall disclose the fact
and refrain from voting thereon under
penalty of expulsion. Nothing has
contributed to the disrepute in which our
legislatures have fallen as their supposed
disregard of the principle involved IN the
clause just quoted. The idea has gone
abroad that some of our Legislators busy
themselves in behalf Of private interests
Counsel for railroads and telegraph and
telephone companies come in for a large
share of the criticism. 1t is a mntter of
common belief that there are in both
branches attorneys for such corpora tons
whose legislative work consists chiefly in
looking after the interests of their clients
rather than those of the public
Quas-public corporations often nave to
ask certain privileges of The Legislature
The privileges have 10 be granted in terms
which WI. protect the interests of tho peo-
pie is TO the interest OF the CORPORA
ton 10 nave these privileges as broad as
possible, and free from restrictions The
interest Of the public is often tust the OPP
poste- Both OF these interests cannot be
represented in the same man, any more
IMAM one lawyer can represent conflicting
interest in suit. or be judge and counsel
in tbs same case. When a lawyer is eIe-
waited to the Bench. be always declines to
decide any case in which he has once been
counsel although his connection with and
interest in the case have entirely ceased.
Something OF the same sense of honor
should characterize the action of corpora
ton attorneys in the Legislature. a clause
in the Constitution requiring them. when
ever there is bill affecting their clients.
to disclose the fact and refrain from voting
or using their influence In its behalf. under
pain of expulsion, would help to correct
the evil, and tend to save the Legislature.
the legal profession and corporations from
the political disrapute into which they have