Year: 1873

oruer--ior everything tDat goes 10
make up tho happiness Of an organ
ized society. There was no portion
Of the world from which the eyes Of
the best and the wisest men werc not
turned in admiration towards this
community. All this resulted from
the wise and just system of laws
adopted by the illustrious founder Of
the colony. We lost our character as
fast a. We abandoned the principles
upon which tho early settlers con-
Quoted their legislation. As we can
trace the grandeur, the honor, the
high reputation of the State 10 the
just laws Of tho earliest time, so woI
can read the history of her shdmcani
her misfortunes in the statute books
Of later period. II we can now but
unite the high tone of public morality
which pcrvadcd our legislation in the
better days of the State with the
wealth and science OF the present
generation, then you may hope TO see
this Commonwealth set higher than
ever, the envy and the example of all
the world. Without infusing into our
new Constitution something that will
have that effect, at least in a degree,
our institutions must, before q very
long time, rot to pieces.


What we want above all things up
on the earth, is honest legislation aud
whom l soy We iDdnt it, Iuse the word
in the double sense Of needing it, and
lacking it.


After oil that has been said upon
this floor, it cannot be denied that the
Legislature Of the State of Pennsyl.
vania has habiiually and constantly,
for the last twenty-five years or more,
betrayed the trust reposed in it's mem.
bcrs; and this has gone so far, that
We must have reform If we would not
see our institutions perish before our
eyes. The horrible character and ex.
tent of the evil will be appreciated
when you recall the solemn words of
the gentleman from Dauphin, Mr.
MacVeighD the Chairman Of the Com.
m,ttce on Legislature. His position
in this Convention, TO say nothing of
his character and conscience, would
make him extremely cautious not to
TO be guilty, even Of the slightest ex.
aggeration, upon SO grave and import
ant topic. lie told US that corrup-
tion of the Legislature was cancer
at the heart Of the State, which was
eating its very life sway. Another
delegate, tho gentleman from Erie,
(Mr walker,) without intending to be
at all condemnatory, but rather the
reverse, declared that it was no use TO
swear the members Of the Legislature,
because they were, 10 his certain
knowledge, so utterly degraded that
they would take the oath and then
immediately lay perjury on their souls,
without scruple and without hcsita-
tion. / believe him, for he certainly
knows whereof he affirms. The evil
fame of this thing has gone forth
through the length and breadth of the
country inasmuch as tho gentleman
from Indiana, (Mr. Harry W bite, } the
Chairman of tho Committee on Legis-
lation, vouches for this statement :
That when one of his colleagues in
the Senate was travelling in Connect
cut, and it became known that he was
a member of our Legislature, that fact
alone raised presumption against his
honesty 80 violent that there was some
hesitation about letting him 20 into
an unoccupied room, lest the porta-
bic property to be found there might
disappear when ho went out There
was time when membership of our
State Legislature was a passport to
honor and admiration every where,
from Partisan drawing.room to the
cottage Of peasant. Now that same
Legislature 10 q stencil in tho nostrils
Of the whole world.


There arc about seventeen gentle.
tlemen on this floor who were former.
ly members of the Legislature. OF
course, they passed through the fur
mace of that temptation without the
smell Of fire upon their garments. -
While they have no sympathy with
crime, they must naturally be anxious
to make the best defence they can,
for the reputation of that body to
which they once belonged. But in.
stead Of q defence all they can do ia
to hang their heads and acknowledg 90,
with shame and sorrow, that tho &C.
cusations are true.


The cry against this corruption
comes up, not only from every part Of
this house, but from every quarter Of
the Commonwealth. II Is borne to US
on the wings of every wind. In bis
speech of this morning, the gentleman
from Indiana, (Mr. Harry White ao-
knowledged that tho universal demand
for q reform of these abuses had
brought this Convention together, and
without that IL never would have been
called. Nor Is it mere popular
clamor. 1t Is founded upon incontest.
iblo facts which have passed into the
domain Of history and will stand there
forever.


| As long ago as 1886, tho bank oi
the United States pushed its charter
through the Legislature, partly by di.
rect bribery and partly by base
combination ofprivate interests, which
were openly and sbamelcssly avowcd
upon the face OF tho bill itself The
speculation exploded in the course Of
q short time; but II scattered destruc.
tion everywhere and brought desola,
tion to thousand fresiJcs. 1t dis.
graced the character of the State; do.
stroy ed her credit; reduced her pub.
lie securities to forty cents on the dol.
lar; branded her with reputation and
made her name o Kissing by-word
amsng all the nations. The perpetra.
tors Of that atrocious outrage were
never called to any account, and their
impunity was an invitation to all 9th
ers to 90 and do likewise. For years
afterwards, tho other banks, com
bining themselves together, corrupted
the Legislature and robbed the public
according to the statutes In such cast