Omaha daily bee., 1905-10-03

WOULD 4 SPECIAL SESSION PAN oUT7
The governor may on extraordinary
occasions convene the legislature by
proclamation, stating therein the pur-
pose for which they are convened, and
the legislature shall enter upon no bust
ness except that for which they were
called together. This is the exact Ian
guage of the constitution relative to the
calling of a special session Of the legis-
lature. The questions which Governor
Mickey is just now thoughtfully consid-
ering are: First, Is there an emergency
for converting the legislature such as is
contemplated by the constitution and,
second, Is there a reasonable prospect
that the objects contemplated in the
proposed call could be Accomplishment
At first blush the answer to these
questions would be in the negative. A
number of prominent politicians and
state papers have already ranged them
selves in opposition. Taking it for
granted that the object of the special
session would be railroad regulation
and anti-pass legislation, they point to
the fact that all the bills having that
object in view were sidetracked, or de-
feated, excepting alone the single con-
stitutional amendment bill proposing
the creation of an elective railroad COM
mission. To recall a legislature with
such a record would, in their judgment,
be a mere waste Of money and time.
These people do not, however, take
under consideration the change of pub
lie sentiment in Nebraska, voiced in the
platforms adopted in the First congress
sional district convention and later in
the republican state convention. Mem
bers of the legislature are all politicians
and most politicians are swayed by
public sentiment, but assuming that no
railway legislation would be enacted at
the proposed special session, Governor
Mickey could render the state invalua-
BILE service by Fastening constitutional
revision through the submission Of a
number of important constitutional
amendments by the Legislature.
The greatest need Of Nebraska today
is a radical change in the organic law
to make 1t conform to existing condi-
tons, and that change should be brought
about at the earliest possible moment.
There is an imperative need of a larger
supreme court with better paid judges,
and there is an equally crying need of
higher salaries in the executive depart
ment This long-felt want was recog-
nized ten years ago, when the legisla-
ture of 1895 submitted a dozen amend
ments to the constitution, including
amendments as to the investment of the
permanent school fund. These amend
ments would doubtless have carried by
an overwhelming majority had not Ne
braska been the cyclone center of po-
litical excitement in 1896, when til,
were submitted, but in spite of the
overshadowing paramount issue of that
campaign some of them came within
1000 or 5000 Of carrying.
The failure of the proposition for
constitutional convention was largely
due to the overshadowing issue of ma
tional campaign in 1904. Had the late
legislature resuBmitted the proposition
for 1906, or should the present legisla-
ture submit dozen amendments to the
constitution, they would undoubtedly
carry in 1906.
The time is ripe for these changes
and it will not require any great amount
of agitation to insure the ratification of
series of amendments. The very fact
that the late republican convention has
committed the party to anti-pass legis-
lation is within itself strong argu-
ment in favor of the immediate submis-
sion of amendments that will provide
such salaries for public officials as will
enable them to dispense with so-called
railroad courtesies, which tend to de-
moralize the public service.
But in order that the governor may
know in advance whether the legisla-
ture would carry out his recommended
lions The Bee would suggest that a
conference between the governor and
the members Of the legislature be held
at an early day after the November
election. In the meantime the subject
should be discussed in the public forum
| from all points of view.