Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-05-24
Washington territory wants to be ad-
mitted as a state. 1t has about Is, 200
THE LEGISLATURE.
jefferson City Tribune. lsth.1

49, !
Jefferson City Tribune. lsth.l
There has never been a Legislature in
his, or any other state, that did not get
Is share of curses. 1t seems to be a
to a great many newspapers.
md a great many people, to belittle the
abors of their representatives, to call
hem bad names and accuse them OF all
he sins enumerated in the decalogue.
As soon as the day for Adjournment was
liked. the soreheads and grumblers, pro-
,eeded with great alacrity to deliver the
usual TRADES. and indulge in all sorts of
and lll-natured criticisms. 1t
would not he possible to select from the
party. by acommisslon sworn
to select the best and ablest men. a body
that would give satisfaction to the repub-
leans or greenbackers. They hope to
make capital for themselves by denounc-
ing in general terms the thirtieth general
assembly, because the democrats, hav-
ing a large majority in both houses, are
tor the character of its leg
whether it be good or bad, and
den%unciations trem such quarters are to
be expected. They will return to their
constituents prepared to enlarge upon
the shortcomings of the legislature, and
to assure them how different the results
have been, if they only had been
enough to control the legislation.
The failure of the democratic legisla-
ture to enact wise and much needed
laws, they will argue, is a sufficient rea-
son why a majority of their kind should
be elected to the next general assembly,
to make all things lovely In the
state.
There is less excuse. however, for the
groundless complaints, that come from
the democratic side, based for the most
part on idle rumors, or the veriest guess
work; tor until the general assembly
its work cannot as a whole be
fairly or intelllgently criticised by any
body, for no man can keep in his mind
all that has been done. The present
general assembly, when its work shall
be fully promulgated, and the public
have opportunity to examine and fairly
understand it, will no doubt be quite up
to the standard of its predecessors. Not
much better, it may be, but certainly not
much worse.
As a rule the members have been a.
orderly as free from dissipation, and as
attentive to their duties as those of any
legislature we have known. In ability
the body is not behind others. and equal
to any other. in their efforts and desire
to expedite business. The house labored
under the disadvantage of being COM
posed almost entirely of new men, mex
perienced in the forms of legislation,
and for awhile of necessity made slow
progress; but they improved rapidly.
and soon became so tamiliarized with
their duties as to dispatch business In a
very satisfactory name The senate,
with half of its members holding over,
and a number OF other of the best par
liamentarians in the state reelected. had
no such trouble as the house encounter
ed, and is the equal OF any other senate
which has convened in that chamber for
many years. So, on the whole. the cur
ses which tall SO thick and fast upon the
present general assembly. won't amount
to a great deal in the end, and when the
members return to their homes they will
be %astonished to find how few of their
friends share in such sweeping cen
sures,
From the st. Louis Republican,
The thirtieth general assembly of Mis-.
souri, has completed its labors and ad.
journed, after a session of one hundred
and thirty-two days. During the latter
part OF this long and tedious session,
protracted beyond the usual limit by the
necessity for going over aud revising all
the general statutes. there was some
criticism Of its work, and this criticism
on the part OF the republican press
degenerated into angry complaints
against everything it did and every.
thing it failed to do; but now that the
work is ended a fair and reasonable
review reveals more ground for com
mendation than for censure. II i
had passed all the Objectionable bill!
that were introduced and considered
there would be better grounds tor tn
complaints but the truth is, none O
these Objectionable measures were en-
acted into laws, and it is very unreason
able to hold the legislature responsible
for unwise propositions which it debate'
but never passed. 1t did not pass tn
bill limiting the rate OF interest; no
the bill requiring deeds of trust to b
foreclosed, like mortgages, by expensiv
suits in the circuit court; nor the bill
requiring real estate sold for debt t
bring three-fourths Its appraised value
nor the grain elevator bill nor the bi
repeating the stock law of St. Louis
nor the law imposing harsh restriction
on outside corporations nor many othe
bi. Is that would have been disadvantage
Gus to the state. But it did pass a mum
Der OF most wise and excellent laws
among them a law to promote immigrs
ton to the state; a law for the propaga
ton and protection Of choice food fishe
in the waters of the state; a law declal
ing lite insurance policies non-torfeita
Bile alter two premiums shall have bee
, paid. and other proper business IN th
interest OF insured persons; a bette
militia law; an improved law on tn
. subject OF voluntary assignments a la
more explicitly regulating the asses!
ment and taxation of railroads; a la
. lorbidding the pledging or negotiatin
of tho school and seminary bonds of tn
state in the keeping of the state trea.
ureri a law authorizing a majority
: the voters of a county to prohibit swim
t running at large; an improved law O
the subject OF arbitrations, which wi
0 Chouio olepuIdutS " dtOlu tue trOuDl
. and expense of lawsuits; a law for til
punishment and suppression of certai
cheats and confidence games, whic
have. Of late years. grown into a seriol
0 evil in the state. and particularly in S
S Louis, and a better jury bill for the Gil
of St. Louis. These are all wise ar
J salutary measures. 1t is rare that
many beneficial laws are enacted at
$ single session of a legislature. Thu
u do not make radical and violent chang,
in established usages; they are intend,
:, rather to reform and improve the gene
. al code. and to remedy defects whit
experience has pointed out. On tt
, whole, the thirtieth general assemb
II did an unusually large amount of wor
and did it with unusual care and pain
8 and the new revision OF the statute
a which it made, will long attest its W;
dom and foresight.
Grange Lectures.
Col. jasper Needham, lecturer of NJ
souri, State Grange, will address the farm,
of Lafayette county, at the following tin
and places:
h Chihuahua Grange, at their hall, May "a
Of at 10 O'Clock Il. IN.
lie Davis Greek Grange, at jennings scht
Or house, May 9th, at 3 O'Clock.
MAYHEM Grange, Mayhem, May 26th,
~ 10 o'clock q. IN.