Los Angeles daily herald., 1873-11-21

ular organ, then the hygienic laws up
on which his physical health and con-
sequent happiness depend. This is
wise provision in our school regula-
tions, for Anatomy, Physiology and
Hygiene deservedly rank among the
first of the sciences that should he
taught, even in a rudimentary educa-
ton. E=l..,l5H. . .
We thus see that the heads Of our
educational systems wisely consider 1t
as indispesible to an education, and as
one of the duties which every person
owes to himself and his species, that
he be cOnversant with that science
which treats Of his physical welfare,
and to those natural laws which he is
subject as an individual human being.
They should also consider it as indis-
pensible that he be familiar with
those laws to which lie is subject as q
member of society, and that he have a
competent knowledge in tnat science
which Sir. William Blackstone has
said s'is the guardian Of his natural
rights and the rule of his civil con-
duct" ~ a Ha
To have such q knowledge is duty
that every citizen owes to his country,
and the duties that a citizen owes his
country should be held paramount to
all others excepting only the sacred
duty he owes his Creator. For how
can he have proper respect for his gov
ernment or its laws,-hOw can he
revere its institutions, or be imbued
with true spirit of patriotism when
he Is ignorant of the fundamental doc
trines upon which that government,
its laws and institutions are based?
In q Republic, such as our own coun-
try, it is peculiarly necessary that all
should possess o knowledge of the ele-
ments flaw, for here the people them
selves are the lawmakers, and how
are they to frame equitable rules OF
conduct If unfamiliar with those great
principles of Right and Wrong, of
Reason and Justice, upon which all
lust legislation is founded? 1t is true,
many Of the Legislators who represent
the people in different State assem-
blies do possess legal learning slff-
cient to enable them to perform their
work, but it is safe to say that q ma
jority do not, but have to depend sole
ly upon the Interpretation Of a law as
given by the others, or else remain in
ignorance of it. Hence it is that we
find our legislative bodies ruled by
few individuals, while the great mass
Of the would be Solons who claim to
represent the people are wholly in
competent to perform the work in
which they engage. They are mere
balloting machines which, under the
management of skilled partizan lead
ers vote "aye' or "nO'' as the opera
tors dictate. And those operators,
those ledders-heads of cliques in leg
islative assemblies are not always
honest men. Hence it is we have so
much nnwholesOme legislation. i
The press and people throughout the
country denouuce our lawmakers as q
class Of corruptiOnists, dishonest men,
these imputatiOns are in a great
measure unjust; the majority OF our
legislators are honest men, so far as
the general sense Of that term goes.
The people endeavor to select men of
integrity to represent them. And
many of those representatives enter
the halls Of Legislation with the best
of intentions, expecting to faithfully
carry out the wishes Of the people.
But let us see them once there; they
are perhaps learned men, familiar
with books, posted in the current news
Of the day, skilled in the arts and
sciences, familiar with all, save that
one science, the work in which they
are about to engage, of it they perhaps
know little or nothing, in all probabil,
ity they never had an opportunity of
learning. The schools did not afford
them one. Yet being clothed with
power, they engage in the great work
of repeating or amending old laws,
and enacting new laws which they
perhaps have never before read! But
they find men there who are skilled in
political science, who have made it a
special study: Corporation agents and
Representatives Of monOpOlies, who
by their superior skill become leaders,
and to whom the others must submit,
becoming mere tools in their hands,
and unwittingly working against their
own convictions. Through the Chi
canery and cunning devices of these
political sharps our honest, but un-
skilled representative is Outwitted at
every point, like o back-w0ods farmer
among the sharps of great city.
From this it must be apparent to all
that the corrupt and unjust legislation
which the people SO bitterly complain
of, is the result not SO much of bribery
and fraud, as of incompetency on the
part of Representatives. But how Is
this to be remedied? and Is 1t not time
1t were remedled? that this defect In
the education Of our legislators were
supplied? is there hot q necessity for
1t? certainly there is, and it were an
easy matter to show from the present
political aspect of the country, that
there Is an imperative necessity for 1t.
But what is the remedy? l propose
the universal panacea for all such in
tellectual defects, and for all bad gov
ernment, educate educate! Let the
youth Of the, land be taught the ele-
ments Of law; let them be instructed
in the science of government; let them
at least learn thoroughly the constitu-
tion Of their country, and the State In
which they live. They will thus ac-
quire q taste for law studies which can
be cultivated In after years. AS they
advance in life they will read works on
political economy, on legislative
than this they will take a deep inter-
est in the laws by which they are gov
erned and endeavor to become famil-
lar with them. Thus will the masses
become learned in a science that SO
intimately concerns their happiness as
individuals, and their welfare as q peo-
pleas sinationi thus they will see
their needs and know how to provide
for them by appropriate legislation;
thus at least they will be enabled to
obtain enough competent men to
creditably represent them In legisla-
tive assemblages, and to faithfully ex-
ecute the laws when enacted. But