1886.1 *)Ji [Rothrock. 



master stroke which made the office of City Controller an elective 

 one, in which the people decided who should oversee public ex- 

 penditures. Maladministration thus lay largety at the doors 

 of the voters. Did space permit, this portion of Mr. Price's use- 

 ful life might well receive more extended notice. 



In November, 1813, he published in some of our leading State 

 papers eight brief articles, giving his objections to our proposed 

 new State Constitution. It is needless to say that his points 

 were well chosen and ably defended. After a lapse of thirteen 

 years, some of the evils he then foresaw have proved gigantic 

 enough to threaten our whole social fabric. It is proper that 

 these objections be here briefly recorded. 



The first was that, as compared with the rest of the State, 

 Philadelphia was inadequately represented in our Legislature. 



The second was, that it prescribed limits to the powers of the 

 Legislature, stated rules to be observed, prohibited bribery and 

 corruption, showed how even a clerical mistake might become a 

 law (as it has done); but gave no method of enforcing right or 

 punishing wrong in certain important contingencies. 



The third showed that the election of judges was practically 

 placed in the hands of a self-elected caucus. 



The fourth was, that the proposed ecpaality of taxation was 

 not only a hardship in Philadelphia, but an express violation of 

 assurances properly given prior to the passage of the Act of 

 Consolidation, and also that the proposition to tax charitable 

 and educational institutions and churches was in violation of 

 traditional policy so old, and so often expressed, that it had 

 become sacred as unwritten law, even if not actually on the 

 statute books. 



The fifth point was, that in apportionment of the State reve- 

 nues under the proposed new Constitution, "no monej^s of the 

 State could be applied to any purpose of charity, education, or 

 benevolence, or to develop our resources, or to gratify or in- 

 struct the people; " and that even after payment of the State 

 debt these prohibitions would remain the same. 



