Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-22
REcoyrEyE rHE LEGIsLATrRE.


that the state has outgrown
the constitution many years ago and
many OF its provisions have become a
dead letter by reason of necessity that
knows no law.
The chief aim of the trainers Of the
constitution was to give the common
wealth the most economic government
they could devise With that end in
view they limited the executive depart
ment to a fixed number OF officers and
prohibited any increase in their num-
Der or compensation. In the same
spirit they created a low-salaried ju
dietary that made the acceptance of
place on the supreme bench by lawyers
of high capacity a sacrifice. The re-
suit has been disastrous to the people
of Nebraska in many ways.
While we are paying only for three
supreme judges at $4,000 a year, we
have created a supreme court commits
sion twice as numerous and more than
twice as expensive as the supreme
court, itself. Instead of combining our
state executive officers to the limits of
the constitution. succeeding legisla-
lures have created a horde of execu-
tive deputies and deputies of deputies
that have no valid existence under the
constitution, but are drawing more
salary and perquisites than the execu-
tives authorized by the constitution
from governor down to superintendent
of schools. While the constitution has
fixed 100000 as the limit of state
debt, our bonded and floating debt
now exceeds 100000. The consti-
tuition limited the investment of our
permanent school funds to United
states and state bonds, but, by an elias
tic construction, state warrants, even
when issued in excess of the state debt
Limitation, have been included as
proper securities for the investment Of
these trust funds.
The imperative need of revision of
the constitution was recognized ten
years ago, when the legislature sub
mitted twelve separate constitutional
amendments, embodying the most sa-
lient features of reforms and safeguards
deemed essential for the necessities of
the state. Unfortunately these amend
ments were submitted during the whirl-
wind excitement of national campaign.
in which Nebraska was cyclone center.
The defeat Of the proposition for a CON
stitutional convention i'm the presiden-
tial election year 1904 is due to the
same causes that defeated the amend
ments in 1898. Had these propositions
been submitted at the general election.
when only state issues are before the
people, they would have been over
whelmingly ratified.
The submission of constitutional
amendments or call for constitu-
tional convention by the next legislature
could not be voted on until 1908, an
other presidential election year. and
that would almost inevitably result in
another postponement of constitutional
reform and the continuance OF the reck-
less disregard of all constitutional forms
by our people. Manifestly, the proper
time for submitting series OF consti.
election Of 1906.
The Legislature at its regular session
last winter submitted but one amend
ment providing for the creation of an
elective railroad commission. Instead
of voting for only one amendment the
people should be given the opportunity
to vote for a dozen amendments to cure
all the defects of the constitution. This
can be done only by reconvening the
legislature in extra session, when II
would have no other business to con
slider
The objections to the recOnvening Of
the legislature are frivolous. The as
! sumption that it would refuse to submit
amendments universally demanded by
the people is not well grounded. I'll,
great majority of the Legislature are mer
who are ambitious TO gain favor Will
the people. They viii not dare to re
fuse the people an opportunity to revis,
the organic law in the interest Of bette
/ government.
The plea that an extra session would
not meet with popular favor on accoun
of the expense involved is groundless
/ The cost Of constitutional convention
| if the proposition had carried woull
have been anywhere from 100000 t,
! $25O,O0O. The expense Of a legislativ,
session will not exceed $1,000 per day
and inasmuch as both houses are or
| ganized and no other business woul,
come before them, the session coul,
readily he closed within two weeks, o
! i'm any event within twenty days, an,
10000 would be a very low price to pa,
for eXpeditlng constitutional revision b,
four years.