Weekly Trinity journal., 1872-04-13
THE LAST LEGISLATURE.

Judging from an experience OF many
wears in this State, it is a time-honored
custom, not only among the public jour
mails but also among the masses, to speak
well of every incoming Legislature, and
straightway abuse it numerically and
without stint upon adjournment. In such
case there is no damning with faint
praise" An adjourned Legislature is
considered fair game. Anybody may shy
a rock or offer an insult with impunity.
The opportunity is always improved to
the utmost. Just as like as not, it is some
ex-member who out Herods Herod in his
pious wrath. 1t seems TO US Of late that
this prevailing tendency is well satirized
in the fable of The Ass and the Dying
Lion. 1t must be that it is considered
either fashionable, or wise, or popular
course, to abuse our lawmakers as soon
as they 60 out Of office, or else the fact is
demonstrated that the people never did
properly. To assent to this is to abandon
the theory that the masses are capable OF
self-government. This we are not pre-
pared TO do. But we started out to say
something about the last Legislature and
so far have failed to get TO the point.
The nineteenth session of the California
Legislature was more than ordinarily
exciting one. Our judgment is that it
contained some of the best intelects Of the
State in both branches. The legislation
of last Winter affected the welfare of the
entire State materially one way or the
other, and will be long felt for better or
for worse. That fault-fnding is easy is
an old adage. In our deliberate judg-
ment the last California Senate and As
sembly committed but one grievous error
that Of going back on their pledges on
the subsidy question. The fact is patent
that whatever may be the real merits of
the case, public sentiment was positively
opposed to subsdizing railroads in any
manner. Our Legislators should have
reincm bered that they were but the mouth
pieces through which the will of the people
was TO be expressed, and that it was their
duty to "obey orders if it breaks owners"
Instead Of this, two-thirds majority took
the bit in their teeth and loftily said =
/" We know what the people want better
than they do themselves" This argument
does not commend itself to our judgment.
1t would be far better to honestly avow
that average human nature could not
resist the pressure Of Stanford Il Co..
conquering lobby. The oft-quoted remark
of an English Prime Minister, celebrated
for always carrying his point, that "all
men have their. price," might also be
pleaded in confession and avoidance. Con-
cerning the subsidy question, our Legis-
lators may not put in any plea at the bar.
We know OF no other blame attaching to
our representatives as body. In some
other respects comparison is decidedly
disadvantagcous TO their predecessors
Two years ago the prevailing idea was
that there was so much money in the
Treasury, and 81 let's rake her," To argue
that the interests Of the Democratic party
required the passage Of Bill, was the
strongest point to be urged in its favor,
and per contra, members upon whose
shoulders tremendous responsibility
rested, Gn their own opinion) with owl
like wisdom, urged in opposition to some
particular measure that 1T would injure
the Democratic party =" From this par
tisanship-run-wld the last Legislature
was exempt. To the Legislators of two
years ago the credit or blame is Justly
due of the great changes wrought by the
Codes prepared by the Revision Commits
sion as amended now and hereafter. The
subsidy question never will be settled by
State legislative action. A solution of
the important problem of how to prevent
gigantic corporations from swallowing llp
every department Of government, is to be
attained only through State constitutional
prohibitions and Congressional enact
ments. BY the sober second thought of
the people, the Nineteenth California
Legislature will be judged according to
the result Of the Codes and kindred legis-
lation, perhaps robbing its predecessor Of
its just share of credit. The fashion of
always abusing our Legislature when the
session is ended is libel upon selfgov-
ernment, and the maxim will we'll apnlv
that "the greater the truth, the greater
the libel"