The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-03-03
The I.egIsiaaure.

/ NN'S po0 ef'ihNtH tAbt oNi iCto ibictih e
IL has doue the State, ANY particn
lar interest of the people, no damage
1t has been conservative and discree
in all its measures. Its action upol
the very few important measures tina
occupied its attention has been wis,
and deserves public commentator
If it has done very little in the way
of passing laws, that fact is greatly
to its credit, for there was less de
mand Or necessity for Legislation thar
ever before in the history Of the State
The personnel of this Legislature
was fifty representative ofthe charac
| teristics and condition of our popula.
ton. They were eminently men oil
the people, representing the varied
interests and pursuits in remarkable
degree. They were. almost without
exception, men Of temperate and TN.
exceptional habits Of life; conscien-
tious in their duties; patriotic in
their purposes; watchlul of the public
interests; possessed Of large degree
of common SENSE" and acquaintance
with practical affairs; level headed
and self-poised; never ''panicky" or
thrown off their balance; going direct
to the germ Of q matter without cir
cumlocution or concealment Of their
purposes; slow and economical of
speech, Ca few exceptions proving the
rule) but always ready to vote and
seldom voting wrong. They truly
represent that reserve force of State
or nation that constitutes its back
bone and its ultimate and unfailing
security in time of peril.
In the past four years we have had
three Legislatures in West Virginia
that have strikingly illustrated the
fluctuations of public sentiment and
the influences that are at work in a
Republic to give all classes Of the
people a part in its affairs In 1879
so we had what has been called the
Granger Legislature" composed in
large part Of men who regard the
laboring classes and those of moder-
ate means, as rightly the sovereigns
of the realm, and who have a greater
or less degree of antagonism for the
professional class and men OF wealth.
The Legislature made its record, and
the people scrutinized it, and next
sent Legislature composed very
largely of lawyers and men of capital
and culture-the counterpart, we may
say, Of its predecessor. SO that Leg
islature made its record 1t was in
session two winters, engaged chiefly
in revising the laws. Following it is
tue present Legislature, which, we
may say, more neatly represents all
classes of our population than any we
have had, and in which the solid farm
ing class of our people predomnates.
There is one thing, no doubt, in
which our people make mistake, in
the matter OF choosing legislators. 1t
is right and proper that all classes OF
our population should he represented
in the Legislature, but it does not
advantage the State, or contribute to
the harmony and wisdom of our laws
to have an almost entirely new body
of legislators at every session. Yet
this is the case. j. is the exception,
and not the rule, that any member
serves in two successive legis latures
We believe there were but eleven in
the two branches of this body who
were members of the preceding Leg
islature. The proportion was not
less, perhaps, than heretofore. Every
successive Legislature brings togelh-
er body of men who are entirely
unlearned in parliamentary matters;
who know little or nothing about past
legislation; who have given but casual
attention to public affairs; whose
habits of life and thought give them
no special adaptation to the work
of legislation, and who consequently,
must be pupils instead of leaders
in the affairs committed to them.
The consequence is that the State is
at greater expense and some damage,
continually educating men to make
their laws. They are sent to the
Legislature to learn how, and having
spent one term in getting acquainted
with the rudiments Of the business,
go home and never return again.
This practice, in a great degree, ac-
counts for the conflict and confusion.
that afflicts our statutes. Men can
not make laws who do not know what
the law already is, and no man can
find that out in forty five days if he
does anything else.
1t is also the cause of the frequent
changes and the unnecessary amount
of legislation that are thrust into our
statute books. We are governed too
much, and governed in such an uncer-
tain and contrary fashion by unstable
laws, that it amounts to no govern
ment at all. We are not right certain
that the proposition being discussed
by some Western States of having
but one Legislature in four years, at
which laws may he made is on the
right track. Every two years the
Legislature assemblies, as a State
court, so to speak, to attend to fiscal
matters, and is forbidden to act upon
any legislative measures except they
be suggested by the Governor, and
every fourth year they enter upon gen
eral legislation. To this we may vet
come as a relief from too much legs-