The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1877-06-16
THE LEGISLATURE.

III view ol the Admitted TACT tnaJ the
State Of Illinois, has during more than
forty years been to a remarkable extent
the sufferer from hasty and i'll advised leg
lslation, and for that reason in 1870, placed
several constitutional obstacles in the way
81 such haste, in order that more time may
be given to the consideration of the effects
Of each act upon the public interests, it
would Ill become us to find fault with the
progress made by our State legislature at
Its present session, if we had any reason to
believe that body has been faithfully and
diligently at work 10 serve the purpose for
which it was elected
Notwithstanding our statutes have late
ly been revised with great care, they are
not without some defects Of serious ma
ture, making well considered amendment,
necessary, and, which would require con
siderable time for examination and dis
cusslon. Besides, the unprecedented
growth Of the State, and increasing diversi-
ty Of business, are constantly evolving now
subjects Of legislation, and these require
the exercise Of wise foresight and much
elaboration. Still We cannot be called
upon to be silent after the lapse of four
and half months time, in which the leg
islature has done 50 little as the present
one has
The loss of fully two weeks time at the
beginning in the choice Of United States
Senator was perhaps unavoidable, but the
committees were appointed and some bust
ness was referred to them, and there was
no longer any excuse for not going to work
and keeping at it steadily till ali the ne
cessary legislation was completed. But
this has not bsen done. 1t is now notori-
Gus that from Friday noon until Tuesday
noon there has rarely been . quorum Of
members present in either house 1t is
even rare during that part Of the time that
committees can work, because of the alb
sence Of members. There is one half Of
the session frittered away A great deal
Of indignation was lately aroused by an
exhibit in the Chicago Tribune Of the num-
Der Of times each member Of the house was
absent at the call of the yeas and nays. OF
course some Of these absences could be
honorably accounted for. Some Of the
absentees were sick others were employed
IN committees, but it is certain that many
Of the absentees were without justification.
There can be no honest excuse for a mem
Der in sound health, and not employed in
a committee, to be absent az one-third Of
the roll calls, as great numbers were.
/ These absentees Of course abused the Tri-
bu"e for exposing their unfaIthfulness, and
other papers, for some inconceivable reason.
1 Joined with them in their windy denuncia-
| tions.
Now, whoever watches legislative pro-
ceedings will find that the members who
are absent represent I'D about equal pro-
portions the farmers, mechanics, profess
ional men and bankers, and all OF these
will say they cannot afford for five dollars
a day to neglect their business at home.
This last may be true. But If they had
sufficient intelligence to do ordinary busi-
ness they knew all this before they were
elected, and it was simply dishonest for
them to ask a place If great responsibility,
and when they did not intend to perform
its duties. No such man is honest. He
has IN him some IF the elements Of the
kDavish defaulter and ringster. If, after
being elected, he finds 1t impo ssible to per
form the duties of his office, he should re-
sign, and not draw pay for services upper
formed, or prevent his constituents from
being actually represented. And the peo-
pie should not be slow to ask him to re-
sign. A member Of the 9th general as
sembly, who was chairman Of the commit
tee on revenue, one Of the most important
places, was absent nearly half of the sess-
ion attending to his private affairs SIN
he ,rdS elected a member Of the Senate for the
nert session, but appeared there for but
little else than to draw his pay. His con
stltuents ought not Of course t. complain.
if they had not the wisdom to refuse his
election or the courage to ask him to re-
sign.
But the railroad pass lies at the bottom
Of much Of the delinquency probably
three quarters Of it, OF course the aver
age member, and even our judges, and
county officers when we 'chargethis, will
laugh III our faces and say, what are you
going to do about it One thing is quite
certain-if the members had to pay rail
road fare they would not absent them
selves more than one-fourth as often az
they now do, and the public would be bet
ter served. Now, can it be that public
sentiment has become so far debauched
that one feels it dishonorable for an officer
to ride with free pass in his pocket over
a road which is continually asking fer Of
fetal favors at his hand, and that such
road may be exempted from bearing its
far share of the public burdens 7 If these
things are not discountenanced by the peo-
pies votes, they will have no reason to
complain.
Knave or which,