Year: 1873

People.


The new State constitution of Pennsylvania,
framed by convention of able men Of all
parties elected for the purpose, and ratified on
Tuesday last in an overwhelming majority of
the popular vote, marks a great and glorious
revolution in that sturdy old Commonwealth
in behalf of honest elections, honest legisla-
ton, the curtailment Of the powers and priyi-
leges of grasping railway monopolies, and for
the protection of the public treasury against
bribery, corruption and frauds and leakages.
Indeed since the adoption of the constitution
of the United States no State in the Union at
single bound has advanced so far in the
good work of reform on the broad platform of
popular sovereignty and popular rights as
Pennsylvania has advanced in the adoption of
this new constitution, this Magma Charta, as
we may call it, of new dispensation.


This new constitution, among other things,
provides that the term of the Governor shall be
four years. and that he shall be limited to one
term; that the representatives of the State
Legislature shall be elected for two and the





and the sessions of the Legislature shall be
biennial The term of the Supreme Court
Judges is extended from fifteen to twenty-one
years, and varied as notifications are made
in the terms of other State officers the zone
term principle being generally applied to
them. This is good principle, and will
operate as salutary check against corrupt
political intrigues among the officers con-
cerned in reference to the succession in their
respective Offices The American people are
looking for the application of this one term
principle to the President Of the United
States or for some limitation Of his eligibility,
in an amendment of our national constitution.
But, again, this new constitution of Pennsyl-
vania provides that the regular State cleo
tions shall be held on the same day as
the Presidential election, and that the
municipal elections shall be held in
February. This merging the State election
of the Presidential year in the Presidential
election is an immense reform; for We all
know that Pennsylvania, being considered
the balance of power in many of our Pres
idential contests of the last forty years, her
October State election has too frequently been
made the wager of battle for the Presidency
itself. We all know that this thing has
operated not only to spread broadcast over
Pennsylvania all the vices of political corrup-
ton, but that it has brought in from time to
time corrupt appliances from other States
and from Washington, to carry the Penn
sylvania October election in the Presidential
year.


This fruitful source of political corruption
no longer exists; and if we could have all our
State elections in the Presidential year on the
same day with the election for President, the
scheming politicians, whose game it is to
carry the State elections of August, Septem-
Der and October for their Presidential pur-
poses in November, would find their occupa-
ton gone. Our State elections would be carried,
even in the Presidential year, upon their own
merits, and the politicians of every State
would be kept too actively employed at home
to interfere in the affairs Of their neighbors.
But, again, this new constitution of Pennsyl-
vania for the publication of the ballot box



bered, that voters may put their names on
their ballots, and that the condolences of the
voters shall not be betrayed by the election
officers. Various other safeguards Of the
ballot box are provided, all calculated to Sc
cure fair voting and honest returns. Next,
the checks and balances upon the Legislature
are well considered for the prevention Of cor
rupt or hasty legislation. Each bill, for exam
pie, is to be limited to one subject named in
the bill, and every bill is to be read three
times in full on three different DAYS, and
where appropriations are made the Governor
may veto a part or parts Of the bill and
approve the rest Of it. The hint to the Conven-
ton on this subject was, perhaps, taken from
the 'back pay grab" slipped into a regular
appropriation bill in the closing hours of the
last Congress.


Stringent provisions for the protection of
the State treasury are made in this new con-
stitution in the heavy penalties ordered against
corrupt or negligent officials but the par
ticular feature of this new State charter which
was doubtless most heartily approved by the
people, is the strong controlling power which
it gives to the State over its railways and
canals, and over grasping corporations gen.
orally. In short, Pennsylvania, in this new
charter, has achieved great revolution of
wholesome reforms in the administration of
her local affairs, and particularly in throttling
her corrupt Philadelphia and Harrisburg
rings Of political gamesters, and in clipping
the wings Of her railway kings, so that they
cannot pass beyond the limits assigned them.
We congratulate the people Of Pennsylvania
on the good work achieved in their new
constitution.


The Siege OF tho Spanish Ram.


During those days Of uncertainty when we
watched with anxiety the condition of the