The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-06-03
Much Legislation.

n UfIQ9 Much Legislation.
.AiItsis anserror too common with legisla-
sssiTc assemblies. and especially in the older
Ssof fhne Northern States, to make laws far
In adyance of public opinion. When
these laws are in the shape of penal stat
Asutss1they universally fail in their object,
sssad give rise to revengeful litigation.
= Such legislation is the offspring of some
morbid moral sentiment. and occurs most
Slly ina body which either has no import
ant business to attend to, or having that
eihasnoto the capacity to do it.
Il was when the primitive simplicity OF
The New England colonies required little
legislation, that the rigid and ridiculous
sslnws of the Pnritans were enacted; and it
was when Connecticut had already too
aanany statutes that the famous "blue
laws ? we're passed, which to this day pro-
woke the sneers of the rest of the States.
Bat when The Revolution buried these
spuritanical systems, and gave new consti-
tutions to the States, their lawmakers had
s something else to do, than to pass acts
admitting the ribbons on a woman's bonnet,
and prescribing the metes and bounds of
mans beard.
But now, having conformed their con-
ssstitutions to the necessities of the people,
and their laws to their constitutions, they
ag ain, for want of useful employment,
commence experimenting with visionary
.schemesfo for making communities moral by
penal legislation. They undertake to
amake the courts and sheriffs perform the
work of the church and the ministers.
sSA An efeminatc and morbid sentiment
magni6es q trifling vice into q crime and
. fnc is attached to its practice. Thus q
System is adopted by our governments
precisely the same in principle with the
much abused Catholic i%ndulgences. Vice
is not suppressed, but is permitted for o
stated price. and instead Of being pro-
hibited il. merely made a luxury to be en-
joyed by those only who are able to pay
sfor the indulgence.
Gas Massachusetts led off in these projects
and has enacted and repealed foolish laws
enough to ;entitle half her legislators to
~sgpardians. Ohio is rapidly following in
her wake, and if her law-making depart
.suaentsis s little longer controlled by the
same class hat ruled in the last Legisla-
ture, cne-half our laws viii sink beneath
public contempt.
sids Aspecimen of the class mentioned is the
law for the protection of game. That
game should be unmolested at certain
seasons of the year, and that certain harm
less beds should not be destroyed at any
. season, is universally admitted; but thai
eJhis should be attempted to be brough
ssshout by penal statutes is not only useless
bat positively mischievous. If JOIN
Smith sees his friend and mel ghbor Johr
Rrownsknoek over a quail in harvest time
he will never dream of having his frient
.s1rosecuted, and thus make him an enemy
SButif they have an cid grudge it afford
Smith a fine opportunity to avenge him
1self BY harrassing Brown. We have NJ
hesitation in saying that in every hundre'
prosecutions under this law, ninety min
- -
viii be prompted more by revenge thai
By respect for the law.
The propriety of laws must Be judged
not by their design, but by their effects
.snd when the effect is to give m%aliciou
and yesengeful men power to annoy an,
xaarrass their ~neighbors, without producin,
corresponding benefits, they should not b
enacted. no matter how pure and rightou
= their design. Instead of promotin
pithe. peace and good order of a communit
fethey only place a scomge in every man
yska6ds With which to lash his neighbt
whenever some real or fancied injury sha
i~rrltate his temper.
The world is governed too much
eiNcia Death Of Senator Butler.