Litchfield Enquirer

REFORM.

It is of the highest importance to the purity of a free Government, that frequent recurrence be had to the fundamental principles on which it is established. If these be lost sight of by the People, in the exercise of their high prerogatives as freemen, and they permit themselves to be influenced and governed by the passing questions of the day-by the transient impulse of present feeling, without regard to the consistency of their acts with these principles, there is the greatest danger, not only of the corruption of their Government, but of an ultimate change of its form and character. The price to be paid by a free People for political liberty, is, an unceasing watchfulness of those to whom they delegate their power. They must ever be ready to discern and punish the slightest abuse of that power-to detect and repel the first and smallest encroachment upon those principles, upon the preservative of whose purity depends the continued enjoyment of their freedom. One of the cardinal principles of a free representative Government, is, that the people are the fountain of power. For the purposes of Government, it is necessary that a portion of this power be delegated to a few. But whenever this power, thus delegated, in any of its modifications, becomes a source of abuse-when it comes to be directed to another than its legitimate end, the good of the People, it should immediately be remedied-and the People who have committed the trust, should resume it into their own hands. These remarks are made with a reference to the appointing power, delegated by the People of this State to their Legislature. It is a fact, as notorious as the existence of such a body, that the exercise of the appointing power has become a mere matter of favoritism-controlled by a regular system of management and intrigue. The views and feelings of the People over whom the jurisdiction of Judges of the County Court, Sheriffs, Justices of the Peace, Judges of Probate and other officers appointed by the Legislature, extends have come to be entirely disregarded-and the selfish purposes of certain political demagogues alone consulted in their appointment. It is therefore high time for the People of this State to take this power into their own hands-and to elevate to these offices, directly from among themselves, in their primary assemblies, men whom they know, and in whose ability, virtue and integrity they can repose confidence. At every session of the Legislature, the People are compelled to pay thousands of dollars for time wasted by that body in carrying on the electioneering struggle for these offices-when they can be better filled, and without any expense to the State, by the People in their popular assemblies. We are rejoiced to hear, therefore, that the recent Whig Convention for this District, held at Wolcottville, passed a resolution recommending an amendment of the State Constitution, so that the State Comptroller, Commissioner of the School Fund, and the officers mentioned above, be chosen directly by the People. The resolution reflects credit upon the members of that Convention. It proposes a reform which the People will joyfully approve. It will receive the warmest support of every true Republican. It will succeed, and the purity of the government will be sustained.