Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-11-03

signed uprootinS OF established Gus
toms, but arguments pro and con were
made on the general propositions of the
benefits or contrarywise of the biennial
sessions, and no critical analysis of the
subject matter of the bill was attempted
hence its present incomprehensibleness.
The movement in support of an
amendment such as is now submitted
for acceptance or rejectment by the
people had its birth in feeling, more
or less prevalent at all times, that legis-
lators were rather necessary evil than
otherwise, and if they were allowed on
ly one half the chance they now have of
making laws, the quantity would be
diminished while the quality would be
increased. In addition to this advocates
of the new system urged in it's support
the less expense that would be incurred,
| both in the shorter time consumed in
the aggregate in the sittings. and in the
| throwing of elections further off and at
longer intervals. A mass of more mis-
leading yet plausible sophistries were
| probably never invented in order to adj
vance measure detrimental to their
best interests in the eyes of the people.
BY far the strongest argument urged
and one that has, more than any other
given to the measure the little popular
| ity with which it has met, was found in
the plea that in frightening the Inter-
val between the sittings of the legisla
ture time will be given to witness the
workings of new laws. to the intent that
the good might be retained and the bad
rescinded. Yet, even here, the advo-
Gates of the measure carefully ignore
the fact that bad legislation has an equal
chance to obtain solid root as the good
and the experience of the past has shown
how hard il is to uproot pernicious Gus
toms when once they have obtained a
firm hold on the body polite, and if dis
cardcd at all it must be at once, when
the evil is first discovered, and not af-
ter allowing it n two years growth.
A single glance at the remainder of
the arguments advanced in support of
this measure shows the untenableneSs
of each and every one. Experience
H., IL o,,.,, 4bot ~ % toe ,1yhapn tbn
pertinent of biennial sessions has been
tried the result has leen anything but a
success What has been lost in frequen-
CIV has invariably been made up in the
| length Of the session, during wnlcn tne
carnival If Indecent Legislation, open
| faced lobbying. and Legislative iunket-
ings at the expense of the state and pri-
vate corporations became so great that
press and people We're aroused into
storm of indignant denunciation, while
the costs of the sessions have been equal
even if they do not Surpass, tie expenses
of the former mode of annual legis-
| latures
Yet many patriotic and well-meaning
citizens would be willing to accept even
this in order to avoid a ''tinkeringn
with the laws that is one of the worst
accomplishments of the present system.
This class wish to give good laws a
chance to stand upon their merits be-
fore being repealed by an incoming
batch of raw Legislators anxious to dis
| tinguish themselves i'll the role of So
Ions And this is a subject worthy of
consideration. Hasty legislation is now
and ever has been the bane of our polit-
zeal existence. But care should be ex-
creased lest the remedy be worse than
the disease. While good laws are be-
coming grounded in the jurisprudence
of the land the bad ones, as has been
stated, are also making the most of
their time to take root. A much better
remedy for hasty legislation and its at
tendant evils would be the adoption of
an amendment to the constitution pro-
viding that any and all acts before be-
coming the law of the land should have
! passed two separate legislatures; on
this subject THE HERALD will, however.
have more to say at some future time.
For the present it only wishes to bring
before its readers the salient points in
opposition to what will certainly prove
apples of Sodom in the mouth of its sup
| porters should the proposed amend
ments receive a majority of the votes
east at the coming election. /.
As for the expenses attending election
this point can be readily dismissed in
few words, as without radical and over
whelming change elections will continue
TO be held every fall at which the ex-
pense of electing one or two more can
didates would cut no figure in the case
whatever. Again. in political ethics.
our system of government is democracy
pure and simple, government of the
people ard for the people. hence pre-
| Supposing constant return of the law
making power to the fountain head in
order to imhibc afresh the thoughts and
ceilings of the people Under the pro-
posed amendments the people take this
power, which they now hold securely in
their own hands and place it in the
hands of their servants. and with il
grant nonforfeitable lease of the same
Tor lorg term of years In other
words place their neck under the heel
OF those whom they have raised 10 the
purple BY what system of reasoning
the friends of the proposed amendments
arrive at the conclusion that candidates
elected four years ago will better ex-
! press the wishes of their constituents of
to-day than those sent up fresh from the
people is hard to be seen. Long lease
OF power brings conservatism aud in
diligence OF shortcomings discovered in
party or policy. Ii is fresh blood, stir
ring and vigorous that has no friends
made during long continuance in Office