Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-06-19
FROM BOSTON.

BosToN. June 8. 1874.

| ItWS vi lflc iHclcIlt commonwealth
are tilikered; and how the men who
do it look and appear. There are
among them no bronzed faces nor
hard hands. They are principally
lawyers, doctors, clergymen, mer-
chants and manufacturers who have
reached an easy pecuniary condition.
Among them are very few farmers
farmers by construction-but there
is no tan on their cheeks nor dung
on their boots.
They all move about with quiet
moderation that would astonish Il
western man and which only grows
out of their knowledge that their
constituents expect them to remain
in session till July, and would be
offended if they adjourned sooner.
They make no haste; neither do they
wear themselves out by long sittings
nor hard thinking. The railroad IA
cilitics are so excellent that three
fourths of all the members take their
supper, lodging and breakfast with
their families ut home, and the bal
ancc spend their Sundays at home if
they choose. | do not claim to have
discovered the idea, but it is never
thclcss true that it is nice thing to
be member of the Massachusetts
Legislature, especially when one
makes the most OF his opportunities.
The tendency in all the states but
this, is towards shorter sessions Of
their Legislatures. The New lamp
shire Legislature met last Wednesday
the third ofJune, and intends to adj
journ the third of July. In Iowa we
think that hundred day session
once i'll two years is ample to provide
for the wants of a young and chang
ing state. The impression is grow
ing both cast and west that if legis-
laturc continues in session after it
has done the necessary and legiti-
mate work devolving upon it, it is
sure to get into mischief. But this
state forms a noble exception. The
Legislature here is regarded as Il
great and good thing, and the more
the people can have of it the better
they seem to like it.
Its sessions are annual and COM
mence on the same day the lc"iSla-
ture of Iowa mcets-the first We'd
nesday in January. Last year it adj
.journcd the third day of July, and
this year the same day is mentioned
for adjournment, giving sic months
IN each year.
Now Massachusetts has Il popula-
ton of. few thousand less than
Iowa, but the direct cost of its lcgis-
lature is fully eight times as much
rs that of Iowa. Here thc legisia-
ture consists of 2s2 members, there
but $50, and the greater cmolumentS
and higher cost here make the daily
expenses considerably more than
double that Of iowa, and it is i'll SEES
sion between three and four times as
many days, take the years together.
One reason for the long session is
found in the fact that the state has
no general corporation law and as 4
result, everything squirting towards
a corporate nature, however triyo-
lous, must receive the combined at
tcntion of the "collcctivc wisdom"
of the state, and us business firms,
and lodge and churches are con-
stantly seeking to he incorporated, it
is quite convenient to have the leyis-
laturc constantly in session and
ready to do the business.
There have been before the legis-
lature this winter, bills-for an Act
to allow the society Owning the
same) to sell or lease the sold south
church"-to incorporate the ".Ameri-
can Whip Company"-to authorize
the Metropolitan Horse Rail Road
Company to increase its capitol-"to
allow the Shawmut Boat Club to
build a boat house" and hundreds of
Others of equal insignificmcc to the
general public which consume time
and spin out the session.
Another reason for the long SEES
sions is that the capital is located at
the principal city of the common
wealth. city continuing one quarter
of the population of the state, and
the inhabitants thereof, whether mil
lionairc, artist or stree, sweeper when
going to their offices or to their toll
feel Il thrill of pleasure when they
can cast their eyes toward Beacon
Hall and see the glorious Flag of our
Union proudly waving above the
dome of the State House showing
that the General Court is in session
Boston-likc all state capitals-dc-
lights i'll long sessions, and as its
powerful press gives the key note to
the whole state, what Boston wants,
the state wants, and that is, Il lcgis- |
lature at work six months in year.
But as this does not trench upon the
rights of anybody outside of the state
and rs those who do the dancing
are very properly called upon to
compensate the manipulation Of the
violin, | would mention it only to
Illustrate what fine thing it is to be
descended from the Puritans who
change not, and how nice it is to
have the state capital located at the
''IIub."
The New Hampshire Legislature is /
mentioned above and wish to add
that a peculiar state of things,
brought about by the rcformers,
exists in connection with that insti-
tuition. Twelve or fifteen years ago
Il Republican Legislature passed, and
a Republican governor 81 gncd the
first prohibitory liquor law the state
Of New Hampshire ever had. The
same party has since been constantly
in power, and has constantly kept the
law in force. At the last election
the Republican platform contained
an explicit pledge in favor of Il
stringent prohibitory law; the Dem
ocratic platform contained an equal
" explicit pledge to repeal all prohib
tory laws, and enact Il license law
Now comes in the work of
the retormcrs. The state is always
very close between the two old parties
in "otf years." and knowing this
perfectly, five thousand "adyanced'
mot one dcmocraD call
inU thnmvn1ync p,ohihitiouiSfa mn.