Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-01-20

prove tne1r Legislature Dy choosing uicn 10
their liking men who have shown themselves
more fit, according to the constituents idea
of fitness. which is the ultimate standard.
This is an addition to the difficulty of rcmoy-
ing bad men already spoken Of biennial
sessions also prevent the grievances of peo-
pie from being listened to and if need be re-
dressed oftener than once in two years. On
this point, however. more hereafter
SO extensive were the evils our ancestors
foresaw in any departure from annual cleo
tons that they condensed into one sentence
their aversion and fear, and held for maxim
that "phere annual elections oad tyranny be-
gins.
We have lived so long under republican
government with no tyranny bot tlie tyranny
of the majority. that we almost reckon OPP
preston and systematic plumber of the pub
lie property among things the possibility of
which we have got beyond. We think so in
spite of the fact already alluded to. that with
in the last decade the metropolis of the cOun-
try was for years in the hands of as utterly
unprincipled a band of banditti as ever laid
walled town under tribute in the middle ages
and ip New York city the elections were at
least biennial.
1t would be rash indeed to ascribc the con-
dition of Louisiana to its departure from
sound principles in the matter of annual cleo
tons. but il does seem that length of office.
both on the part of the Governor and of the
Legislature. contributes to the iii sgraccful
state of affairs in that State. The ruin be-
gan with Warmoth In four wears a man like
Warmoth. active. INSCRIPTIONS. determined.
and with a genius for politics, could do and
did do what he might not have dared to at
tempt under annual scrutiny and annual risk
of disaster. Such men as Warmoth and
Aaron Burr are always possible in Republic
auI al, ha ,Ia1 Rut xCh
the old objections to biennial sessions are not
answered and the old reasons are not appli-
cable, il is not to be supposed that the change
is advocated without some argument in its
favor.
So far as it is possible TO get Mt the new
argument it proceeds upon the assumption
that the Legislature is an evil. II necessary
evil to be sure, but an evil which we would
do well not to inflict upon ourselves any
oftener than is needed. This NAV be an oh
iectionable way of stating the argument but
really it comes to just that. The specitica-
tons emphasize the idea. 1t is said that
every winter the Legislature passes many
foolish laws. and public and private interests
are constantly in jeopardy rs long as the
session lasts. Besides what the Legislature
actually passes, its time is taken up with
thousand foolish things which it does not
pass. For instance, a member last winter
stood up in his place and proposed to have
record kept of every mans entrance aud exit
from every town in the State, in order that
there should be no disputes about his settle
ment if he became pauper! To these
specifications it is added that biennial sessions
would cut off great deal of useless talk and
useless expense.
The answer to these things is not difficult.
II is charged that the Legislature passes many
=. l. h.tt
To say that some acts are not the wisest is
only to say that democratic government is
fallible and that the average sense of mankind
as found in the Legislature is not absolute
wisdom; but to say that great or consid-
cradle portion of the laws made are unwise
is probably not true. The bulk of the pub
lie acts go through the hands of the Judiciary
committee which every year is composed of
men far above the average of intelligence of
the State. The probability is that they who
have heard all the facts and arguments are
better judges of the needs of the people than
their critics. If any public or private inter
ests are put in jeopardy by the session of the
Legislature, who knows but they ought TO be
put in jeopardy. If they are in danger, it is
because other and opposite interests are push
ing them, and why should not the opposing
interests have a hearing before the proper
tribunal? 1t might be urged, also, that if a
Legislature which meets every year passes
foolish acts. Legislature which meets every
other year will do the same thing with the
additional disadvantages that the fooishness
of the latter will last two years and that of
the former ouly one.
1t is charged that much of the time of the
Legislature is taken up by matters which are
finally rejected, some of them too absurd even
for discussion. This is true. And many a
man has sat and listened to the Speaker read
off report after report Legislation inexpe-
dent" ''Bill ought not to pass" leave to
withdraw" and thought that if the people
could only see the wisdom of the Legislature
as exhibited in its negative as well as in its
positive decisions, they would have higher
respect for their representatives than they
have now. But however absurd a request
may be made to the Legislature, the people
who make it have a right to be heard. How
shall the Legislature know it to be absurd I'M
til it has been heard? Are courts to be shut
up because men get non-suited? Every now
and then we make ourselves merry over some
special fight in the Legislature like the fight
over the porgy. To us il is fun. But there are
men to whom the contest means bread and
butter, and others to whom it means bust
ness and fortune, and so year after year it is
fought over until the right basis is found and
Legislature is not only the law making body.
but the Great and General Court The powers
delegated to ordinary courts, being general in
their nature pc not always do justice in all
the unforeseen emergencies which arise and a
body possessing plenary authority is abso-
lutely needed to provide for such emergen-
cies. and to keep pace with exigencies as they
present themselves. Moreover events are so
various that laws need continual amendment
to meet them, and do even the limited justice
which gets done.
The question of expense appears to be
hardly worth consideration. 1t is worth
much more than the sum expended to instruct
n hundred and eighty men in the public bust
ness, what it is and how to conduct it. Every
man who goes there comes back more of a
man and is of more use to himself and his
town. Town meetings and annual Legisla-
lures help to make the New England man
what he is, the most capable of any on the
footstool of showing how conducive republi-
can government is to education, selfreliance
and solid progress.
Annual sessions only have thus far been
discussed. Annual elections are equally i'm
portant. In addition to the increasing OPP
,,st, had and