Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-01-03
From the Christian Union.
The St9te Legislature IN. ~

The St9ee Legislature IN. -
As IT LOOKED TO A WOMAN.
have paid nv respects 10 our State
Legislature for the first time in my
life am deeply impressed thereby,
though not in the manner l had antic-
;pated. Having been instructed from
my earliest days that law-making was
an employment for which only the su-
perior masculine mind was capable
hayia. oeen frequently informed, since
reaching maturity, that women could
not be expected to comprehend the ma
ture and extent Of the vast and i'm
portant public interests reposing of
necessity in masculine hands having
been summarily snubbed, time and
again, since we began our temperance
work. by being told that important
public issues. the nature of which |
could not comprehend, were at stake,
with which must not interfere by
agitatIng the subject of legislation
against the liquor traffic, you NAV i'm
a-inc that | felt no little awe at the
thought of standing in the august
presence Of the assembled body of our
law-givers, whom you and are not
even wise enough to help choose, and
hearing them discuss those important
questions which we are incapable of
understanding.
The first impression received upon
entering the Assembly chamber was
that it fofcibly reminded me Of our
county iail, which | had visited sew
cr4i times on missionary work intent.
| could not at once imagine what asso-
hattrring a comparison. 1t certainly
was a much larger, lighter and hand-
Somcr room and more sumptuously
furnished than the Jail Its inmates
were a finer looking class Of men and
better clothed. Presently il became
apparent 10 me that the air was heavy
and blue with tobacco smoke, and then
| recognized the tie which binds the
higher and lower classes, law makers
ana law breakers alike. in common
Iiblltl llpDl. ptlpIt Atlk IN'o-
nizcd other points Of resemblance.
Members began to congreTatc at
nine o'clock in the morning and stood
around smoking and talking till 10 A.
NJ, when the sessions were opened.
They were adjourned at any time from
/ A. NJ. to ! 7. NJ. rarely extending
hcyond the latter hour As l had
frequently heard our representatives
complain Of the hard work and terrible
pressure Of business brought TO bear
upon them IT the capital and the com
plctc exhaustion they experienced after
few weeks Of legislative labor | was
surprised At the brevIty Of the ses
sions. but concluded that the remand
er Of the day was spent In protonnt
and careful investigation, BY the indi-
vidual members, Of the various bills
pending, and study of the intricate So
cial problems many of them involved.
The extreme rapidity with which bus.
mess was transacted during the ses
sions vas a marvel TO my unsophistl-
Gated eyes Bills were called up by
their numbers, the titles were ratified
Off and they were put 10 vote, one after
another. with such dispatch that they
were frequently either passed or indef-
initcly postponed before the members
could turn 70 their printed copies and
find out what they were voting upon.
Sometimes several bills were dumped"
together and carried or lost at one fell
stroke. Their consideration in Com
mittee Of the Whole was equally hasty
and-to profane eyes-superticial.
The only object Of the members seemed
to lie to get through, and that presid-
Ing officer who could run through the
greatest number of bills in an hour was
considered the "best fellow" Evi-
IDENTIFY, unless bill had an active
friend or active enemy on the floor it
was likely TO be either made a law or
consigned to oblivion-it seemed to
matter little wbich-without thought
or discussion. A bill to restore capi-
tai punishment, having an earnest
friend on the floor, was discussed for
nearly half an hour before it was voted
down; and one eXempting certain
railroad lands from taxation, since it
involved large pecuniary interests of
influential people, occupied several
DAYS. Bills affecting the liquor traffic,
the rights Of women. and prison reform
had been introduced and when | re-
hected that none of them had earnest
advocates i1 either house, and that
only such bills as involved the pecun-
iary interests of influential persons on
the spot and working hard for their
passage were likely to receive respect
ful consideration. all others being got
rid Of in tie speediest manner possible,
trembled for their fate.
Surely. | thought. there must be a
time when these lawmakers devote se-
rious and earnest study to the subjects
upon which they are called to legislate.
Doubtless the afternoons are devoted
to that purpose. So l determined to
wait and see. The moment the session
was adjourned the members jumped up
like roolnful of restless school-boys
who had with difficulty been repressed
so long. Some lighted cigars, some
sought the society of the ladies pres
ent, and general burst of such excla-
nations as "Going to the party to-
nieht?" Have a good time last
night?" "Your wife coming down"
.Will Miss J. be there!" greeted my
ears. A bevy Of schoolgirls sixteen
years old could not have been more
completely absorbed in discussing the
merits of parties and amnsements,
toilettes, good suppers and the attrac-
tions of the opposite sex than we're
these grave and reverend Senators and
Representatives, many of them past