The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-01-10
Chs SemtfmsI.
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY
LEGISLATION.

sion The lower house IS republican; the
senate is democratic; on joint ballot the
legislature is republican. The sessions are
biennial, and by the constitution limited to
sixty days 1t is fair TO assume. that in
point of ability, the members OF the fftieth
regular session of the general assembly of
Indiana are fully and fairly average. They
are here to advance the prosperity Of the
state. to enact wise and wholesome
laws and to repeal or modify such
statutes as experience has shown
to be defective. Notwithstanding the ses-
sions are brief, they are sufficiently extended.
to enable the members to accomplish much
for the promotion Of the public good. The
public good, however, is not always to be
measured by the number OF bills passed.
On the contrary, it is too often found that
the larger the number of acts the less is the
public benefited. Too much legislation is
Objectionable. 1t is not only possible to
govern too much, but easy of accomplish
ment Too many laws promote liti-
CATION; business matters are complicated
rather than elucidated; lawyers grow rich
while the people are impoverished. The
most astute lawyers differ; courts disagree.
and for much of this confusion legislatures.
while responsible in a great measure, are not
entirely to blame Every member OF the
legislature Is expected to do something for
his constituents. During the canvass he
made pledges, and having succeeded feels
under obligations TO introduce sundry bills.
Under the pressure bills multipiy-ali
sorts of bills upon q great variety of
subjects-and, unfortunately, too many
of them 20 through and become laws.
We venture the assertion that there is not a
state in the Union that is not burdened with
too much law. AS a consequence, the acts
of one session are, in numerous instances,
repealed by the next session, while others
equally Objectionable take their place on
the statute book, and so on dd infnitgm. An
other difficulty is the apparent necessity to
s1sh legislation and push bills through.
This is done too often as a matter OF per
sonsl favor, with little regard for the merits
of the bill or its bearing upon public inter
ests-in vulgar parlance, it Us legisla-
tive log rolling. 1t Is assumed that
too brief, that laws for Il great and growing
commonwealth like Indiana, with its vast
and varied interests, can not be enacted
with due regard for the public welfare in
sixty DAYS. and that as a result the organic
law of the state is chiefly responsible for
slipshod legislation. Evidently there is too
much truth in the allegation. The chief
but the old proverb hath il that haste
makes waste and it is as true of legislation
as of anything else. IL Indiana is TO have
good laws they must not be made in a bur
ny; they must not be rushed through the
legislature; but since there is not
sufficient time to give the various bills calm
and thorough consideration, il passed at all,
they must be passed in an immature
condition. If in such cases they are found
to complicate rather than simplify legal pro-
ceedings. the responsibility must rest with
the people, for the people enact the organic
law. But dropping this form of discussion,
and taking things Us we find them, the pres
ent legislature, we are confident, would earn
an enviable fame by reducing the number of
acts greatly below the average. There are
some important laws TO be enacted
requiring patient consideration and thor
ough discussion There are doubtless laws
that ought TO be repealed. These should
have prompt attention, and the work OF
cleaning out the legal trash from the statute
books can not be conducted too vigorously.
Evidently the legislature will consider what
legislation is necessary 10 protect the people
against the attacks of creditors, who are
loading down all the court dockets of the
state with suits. With trade paralyzed, in
dustries PROSTATE, confidence gone, capital
locked up and general dependency prevail
ing, it would seem good policy TO make
some provision which, while guarding tho
rights of all, sacrifices the interests of none.
Sound policy demands that, under eircum-
stances that no human foresight can control,
the penalties Of misfortune should be as
light as possible, and, il under the pressure,
it is found that property worth 5000 is re-
quired to pay debt of 81, 900, the legislature
may, in the exercise Of prudent power, pro
vide that of the hard earnings and prudent
savings the debtor class shall not be hope
1essly ruined. Wise craftsmanship will pro-
vide against such calamities and give citi-
zens chance to save something from the
wreck
GOVERNOR HESDRICKS' MESSAGE