Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-01-17
SPECIAL LEGISLATION.

Among the measures introduced in the
legislature yesterday was bill by Represen-
tatlve Hicks for constitutional amendment
prohibiting special legislation. This matter
will no doubt receive the consideration which
it deserves.
The evils of special legislation are getting
to be pretty we'll understood here, but yet
there seems to be no abatement of the dill
gence of legislators in proposing measures
OF that character, and no diminution in the
number of such bills introduced. More than
three fourths Of the bills that have command
cd the attention and consumed the time of
the legislature for the past ten years have
been purely local in their character, and
many of them wholly unnecessary. We ought
to have general laws under which the people
OF the several localities might regulate their
own affairs, and not fly to the legislature for
enactments to authorize them to build town
pump or lay out cow-path. The legisla-
ture has got into the habit of leaving all
such measures to the members from the
counties directly concerned, and as a conse-
quence one or two men decide whether or
not bill shall pass. It has been in the ex-
perience of every year that member has Sc
cured the passage of bill affecting the in
terests of his constituents without their
knowing anything about it, and often to
their injury.
1t IS easy enough to obviate the necessity
can be enacted, as they have been in Illinois
and other States, under which every con-
Germ OF cities, counties, towns and villages
can be regulated. It looks exceedingly alb
surd for the legislature of an entire State
gravely to enact a law for fixing the salary
of a town clerk or county auditor, when
such measures properly belong to the city
councils or county commissioners. 1t is
also farcical to witness the gigantic intel
lects of our Senators and Representatives
struggling with the question of whether a
citizen of Winona shall take a
drink of beer after 10 o'clock
in the evening or be compelled to 90 thirsty
TIL after breakfast in the morning. Cities
and towns ought to have the right, under
their ctarters,t to regulate their internal affairs
wholly, and the attempt of the legislature to
fix the salaries of officers of whose duties
they know nothing, ought to be regarded as
an impertinence.
While the legislature is, under the consti-
tuition, created the chief law giving power OF
the State. it ought not to be burdened ty the
minor details of government. It is unfair
to the members to tax them with such q
duty, and it is unfair to the people of the
various parts of the State to be deprived OF
the privilege of local self-government. City
councils, boards Of supervisors and county
commissioners know better what their con-
stituents require than tie members of the
Legislature can, and they ought to be accord
ca the privilege of deci ling. Corporations
can be organized under the provisions of q
general law, roads can be laid out and
bridges built, town and county boundaries
fixed and all other matters of local concern
can be amply cared for by general laws, and
much of the expense attending the meetings
of the Legislature saved. We must have less
local and special legislation, if it is not pro-
aibited entirely.