, 1884-02-21
Governed Too Much,

1t has come to be a we'll known
maxim that the world is governed too
much. Washington Territory is no
exception to the rule. Every two
years we elect lot of representa-
tives to go to the capital and hold a
Legislative session for the purpose Of
oYerhauling our laws, patching up
defective ones and enacting such new
measures as the growing needs of
the commonwealth would seem to
dictate. 1t is presumed that the peo-
pie elect able representative men to
do this Legislative business for them,
and that each succeeding set of new
laws will be an improvement on the
last-at least will better serve the
necessities of the public. But the
fact does not necessarily follow the
presumption. Too often it is some
sly, scheming politician who secures
the nomination-some political shy
ster or demagogue-instead of the
man whose very ability and breadth
of mind makes him shun the petty
tricks of the other. Sometimes an
old farmer, or we'll known business
man, is nominated by his friends and
neighbors rs a testimonial of their
personal esteem for him-but such
nominations are dangerous, because
the recipient of the honor is often a
man unfit for the position. About
the first thing an ambitious young
politician usually thinks of is to get
elected to the Legislature, and he,
too, is often successf full In any case
there are always number at every
session, who imagine they must IN
do or do over again everything that
has been done by their predecessors.
When it comes to the counting, in
addition to all this, the probability
each time that some powerful corpo-
ration has an "ax to grind" and has
0 HeU to put forward who can be de-
pended upon to do the will of his
masters, the probabilities are very
strong that bad legislation will result
Then again, each house of the as
sembly depends largely upon its ju-
dietary committee to see that laws
are put in proper legal shape; and
all depend upon the chief executive
to discover and point out defects that
may have been overlooked Put a
fourth class lawyer on as chairman
of the Judiciary committee, and de-
pend upon governor who is nc
lawyer at all. and you usually get as
aresult, what? A lot of imperfect,
useless statutes that serve to cause
litigation and business for the courts,
besides disgrace to the country.
Two years ago last fall a prodig-
ious amount of labor and expense
was incurred by the Legislature of
this Territory in codifying cur laws
The last body of aggregated wisdom
We had contrived to undo much that
had been done; and the new laws
they gave US We're botched up so that
Congress is now being importuned
| to legalize number of them. Look
at the already notorious Omnibus
BillT Twelve diffecent objects COM
bined, and yet the organic act of the
Territory explicitly declares that no
law shall cover more than one sub
iect! The act locating the county
seat of Garfield county has no enact
ing clause. Then the act amenda-
tory to our exemption law plainly
and inevitably wipes that wise pro
vision completely out of existence,
excepting the exemptions sought to
be made additional And these are
but few instances. The act amend
/ ing the code in reference to dykes
and bitches has no date of approval; /;
the act to provide for holding court
at Port Townsend was passed in the
House Nov. ID; passed the Council
Nov. 18th, and was certified as ap-
proved Nov. 18th; the act in regard
to prosecuting attorneys passed the
Council Nov. 9th, passed the House
Nov. 28th, approved Nov. 23d; the
act in relation to hospital for insane,
passed the Council Nov. 29d, passed
the House Nov. 2Sth, approved Nov.
23; the act Incorporating Whatcom
passed both Houses Nov. oath. while
the date of its approval is Nov %;
the act to incorporate Eilensburg
does not bear the signature of the
Executive; the act in reference to
erecting bridges in Yakima county
lpassed the House Nov. 26th, passed
the Council Nov. 9th, was approved
Nov. 23d : act to legalize certain or
dinances OF Seattle, approval not
dated; act to pay for certain printing,
approval not dated. Now does it not
appear from the foregoing that some
body was drunk OF criminally negli
geat! Think of copies of these laws
going into the library of Congress,
into the library Of the U. $. Supreme
Court, aud into every State and Ter
rltorial library in the United Statesl