The St. Louis Republic., 1901-01-05
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

stock. or its separate corporate property
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
The first OF the recommendations made
by the message Is for d constitutional Con-
NentiOn.
"On coming into the office Of Governor,
and in my biennial message" the message
says, Il gave my Views ON the subJect OF a
Constitutional Convention. and now on re-
tirins from oince, 1 desire in a business
way and as. briefly as possible 10 direct
your attention again To the subject.
Since uttering those views many Of
the ablo men OF the State. including law
yers and Judges. have found ana called iny
attention 10 many defects and shortcofn-
inSs OF the present instrument, and have
convinced me that the question Of calling
Constitutional Convention IS OF sufficient
Importance To merit your serious consider
alton at this time.
lettering To some OF the objections
which are often discussed regarding ;he
present instrument. my attention has been
called in the nrst place TO the different
kinds OF oaths that are administered TO dr.
fereut officers In this State. Fo- instance.
when a member Of the Legislature comes
forward TO be sworn. he Is required to take
and subscribe the following oath or afiirma-
ton: L do solemnly swear COR affTm)
that l will support the Constitution OF the
United States and OF the state OF Mis-
souri,. and faithfully perform the duties us
my office; and that L Will not knowingly
receive, directly or Indirectly any money
or other valuable thing. for the perfJr-
nance or nonDerformaLCc OF any act or
the compensation allowed by law IN
der that section and In this language any
member Of either house refusing 10 take
said oath or affirmation shall be deemed to
have thereby vacated his office, and any
member convicted or having violated hiS
oath or affirmation shall be deemed guilty
OF perjury. and be forever thereafter dis
qualified from holding any office OF trust
and profit in this Stale
'On the other hand. when we turn to
section .. article xiv. of the Constitution
Ia al nf her
officers in this State. We find this provision:
AN officers. both civil and military, under
the authority OF this State. shall, before
entering upon the duties of their respec-
tive Offices take and subscribe an oath.
or affirmation. 10 support the Constitution
OF the United States and OF this State, and
TO demean themselves faithfully in Office
You Will observe that at the end OF tfiiS
section there Is no statement made as To
the failure OF the officers therein named to
take such official oath. as in the case OF Il
member Of either house: nor Is there any
provision in section 6. article xiv. that any
officer convicted of having violated MS
OATH or affirmation, shall be deemed gull
ty OF perjury.
why this distinction? What was its
object, end and purpose? Was 1t because Of
a distrust felt by the trainers Of the Con
sti'ution for the legislative branch OF the
government?
that appropriations shall be made in a GER
tain order. Experience has demonstrated
that such appropriations never have been
and never can ne Haue IN that otueT' anu
consequently that provision OF the Consu-
tuition IS violated daily and hourly when
the Legislature is in session. and everybody
knows IL.
Another feature Of dlstrust as to the
popular branch OF the government, to-wit,
the Legislature, is shown IN limiting the
time during which a revision session of
the Legislature IS TO be held. That the
Constitution limits to 120 days. II is i'm
possible, as experience has demonstrated
in 1872 in 1889 and 1889. to successfully act
as q body of revisers of code OF laws in
that time.