Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-02-27
WORDS TO THE LEGISLATORS.

WORDS 10 IKE LEGISLAIOhS.
Let all things be done decently, and in order.
i. CORINTHIANS xlv:40.
The legislature is now entering upon
the last days Of it's session. But four
working days remain before the law will
terminate its existence. These four days
promise to be of the utmost consequence
to the welfare Of the people of the State
for the two years to come. There has
been large accumulation of business in
both houses. Bills of general nature,
having application to the State at large,
have been laid over from time to time for
one reason and another. When a mem
Der has thought his favorite bill lacked q
majority of those present, he has had it
laid over till more convenient season,
and the result is that the legislature finds
itself with large number Of such bills
on its calendar. There is more or less
opposition to all of them, and there is
great danger that in closing up the work
many measures that in cooler moments
would be disapproved, will, in the con-
fusion that is sure to result, become laws
through lnadvertance or by reason of
combinations entered into for mutual ad-
vantage.
The lawmakers of the State should be
examples for the rest of the people to fol-
low They should be models of decorous
department, and especially in their Off
cial capacity should strive to do all things
nd IN \ Sc I'D
that they are innocent of corrupt motives
until they are proved guilty, and although
there are sometimes suspicious circum-
stances connected with their conduct,
they have, when given an opportunity to
do so, generally proved themselves not
very far astray from the paths of recti-
tude. This is meant, of course, to apply
to Minnesota legislators, not to those of
other States, who have proved themselves
adopts in political intrigue. But there
are other than strictly moral virtues that
lawmakers should practice, and in which
the present legislature, in common with
thosesthat have preceded it, has been great
ly deficient. Chief among these is
order. There has been perpetual
scramble for precedence for each
little woodchuck that was introduced.
The rules of the two bodies have been
more honored in the breach than the OBJ
servance. A suspension of any given
rule has been demanded as right rather
than asked as privilege, and not one
| +yUa fafh Of ~ IF
have gone through their regular order.
Probably no deliberative body ever as
sembled in the West has shown so much
ignorance or disregard of parliamentary
practice as the twenty-second legislature
of Minnesota. There has scarcely been a
pretense of following it except when a
bill was closely contested, and even then
the presiding officers and most of the
members were considerably at sea as to
the proper course of procedure. There
is a great danger that this disregard Of
parliamentary law will lead to inextrica-
bic confusion during the hurry of the
last four days, and that bills will pass
that should not receive legislative sane
ton, while other measures necessary for
the welfare of the State will be de-
feated.
There has been great delay in business
owing to the inattention of the Senators
and Representatives. 1t has been no I'M
common thing for a bill to be read by the
clerk and re-read four or five times on
demand of members sitting but few
feet from him. Loss of time has been &C.
casioned by the neglect of members to re-
spond to their names on roll-call. Only
yesterday in the House three bills were
lost because no quorum voted, although
there were over eighty members in the
House. This carelessness is almost mex
cusable.
| It would be well for the members Of
the Legislature to begin the last week of
their session by turning over new leaf
in these respects. The Sabbath is a good
day to ponder over their past sins and to
resolve to make amends as far as possible
When they attend the sanctuary this
morning they should remember these
words of counsel as well as the advice
that falls from the lips of the man of God.
The two combined may lead them into a
frame of mind in which they will be able
to do great service to their constituents
and the State at large.