Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-02
tSOurnaI anS Courier i.
SINGLE COPIES TWO CENTS.
Saturday, February 2, 1884.
BIENNIAL SESsION1,

l Connecticut is one of the few States which l still continue to endure annual sessions of
 The legislature How much longer we shall have | to endure them is uncertain, but it is clear
 that during the last few years the idea that
 such sessions are unnecessary has fast gained | in favor in this State. The matter is now be- fore the legislature, and it is to be hoped that that body will take such action as will help to forward a much needed reform.
 The people of Massachusetts are strug- gling with the same question, and the legisla- 1 tive committee Which has charge of the mat l ter is now hearing arguments concerning it.
 The Hon. E. H. Haskell, lately member of the governors council, and for several years secretary of the Republican State committee, made day or two ago an elaborate and pow erful argument favoring the proposed change MT. Haskell is an advocate Of the biennial system, first, because it cuts off part of the
 great waste of time, energies and money de-
 manded by the present system of annual elections. He believes, and we think he is
 justified in so believing, that the people are sick of so much politics. He finds that they shirk their political duties in ''the of years''
 when members of the legislature are the principal officers elected. He finds that in these years in Massachusetts only about forty per cent. of the full vote is usually cast.
 MT. Haskell is also in favor of the biennial system because of the opportunities it gives for the healing up of the many political ami mosities that are engendered during and by frequent political campaigns. Another and very weighty reason for adopting the system is that it will tend to better legislation. He says on this point (and what he says ap plies as well to the condition of things in this State as in Msssachusetts): In 8 State like Massachusetts, where legislation is so far ad- vanced as to make it difficult to improve upon the administration of it's various departments. it is not necessary that the legislature shall be convened each year, at an annual expense to the taxpayers of the State of quite three hundred thousand dollars and I am confident that the experience of other States in this particular will demon strate that in every important point legislation is greatly benefited by biennial rather than annual sessions. Especially is this apparent with reference to excessive as we'll as special leg islation, two of the greatest fanlts in our present system, and which, am advised, have largely been reduced in those State that have adopted biennial sessions. Legislation should be in the interests of the whole people, and confined largely to them, and the growing tendency toward so much special legislation ought to be checked. know of no better way to accomplish this than by the less fre- quent assembling of the law making body. Further than this, another great fault with the present system is that it does not allow sufficient time to elspse after legislation is had to demonstrate it's wisdom. It has be come very frequent occurrence of late, as many of you are aware, for measure to be repealed before it has had even a fair oppor- tunity to show it's value. In all of these directions, then. believe that we can safely trust to the experience of other States in demonstrating the advantages to be gained by an adoption of the biennial system.
 This is sound and forcible. Against it can only be urged the idea that frequent elec- tions help educate the people and keep the reins of power more firmly in their grasp. We do not think this idea deserves the con- sideration it has received. Experience, which is a good teacher, is apparently against it. Thirty-two States get along with out annual sessions, and there has not yet been noticed any encroachment on the liber- ties of the people which can be traced to this cause.