1916] OF THE SENATE. 389

representative as it is and should be, and making of it an
oligarchy. Under this amendment the Executive authority
overlaps and assumes the functions of the Legislative Depart-
ment; the people of right have always been jealous of the
prerogative of their representatives to initiate appropriations;
and to provide against hasty action have vested in the Execu-
tive the power to veto. Here we have the situation changed.
The Executive initiates the appropriations and the General
Assembly has the power to veto. The members of the esti-
mable commission which drafted this Bill is evidently of the
opinion that the people, through their representatives, are not
capable of governing; Hamilitonian in their ideas, evidently
believing in concentration of power and holding a contempt
for the people's representatives, they have drafted, not a won-
derful Bill, but an amazing proposition. Our present Con-
stitution contains ample authority whereby a budget could be
submitted to the Legislature and it is my firm opinion that,
had our former Governors and Comptrollers done their duty
under the present law there would now be no shortage in our
State finances. Theirs has been the fault, together with the
fact that the needs of the State have been greater than the
revenues. So you can see, Mr. President, that in order to vote
for the submission of this amendment, I must violate all the
theories of Government I have ever entertained and I am
frank to say that, had I been nominated by the convention
which drafted this celebrated plank in our Party Platform, I
would not have accepted the nomination. I come here not the
nominee of a political gang, jammed through a convention or
in a primary, but only and solely by the votes of my fellow-
citizens; of which fact I am justly proud.

But, Mr. President, I am a Democrat, holding full allegiance
to my party and ready and willing to rise or fall with it, and
as my party has drafted this plank and gone before the peo-
ple and the people have apparently approved it, my present
duty is clear. I must vote for its submission—fervently hop-
ing it will be slaughtered at the polls by an awakened and en-
lightened citizenship.

[Said Bill was then sent to the House of Delegates. ]
Also

SENATE BILL No. 16, BY MR. OGDEN.
SUBJECT: STATE TAX COMMISSION.

[Which was read and recommitted to the Committee on

Finance. ]