Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-01-01
,i.,ar,A ,>utN.tuN 80
olliPlk. lGlpN lllNlM IN /. ING
ilasly Legislation

Nasty Legislation.
.en,iufihe l.e.i-ldl," i,u.u,d
tor ,',,nr tho ra,mont II genera
is..- 900 March, published m TIA"
la. ~I,,r.,i.. Be- go Imperfect s. drawn
tl,t 800 lacal roptes' We IN
stand I.uh'cI that II was lhc bill
90 r',l jn-i before Adjournment, anl
voted IL. S.,reiar,'s of'lre ~ sa'iS-
~ hun-c.f ~ Al iuspcc''ar Il th"
approved copy on hlo liz found,
q course. that the publication hal
boon properly made. anl that short
~ tho statute ~. II - one OF the
mos, ambiguous aud Unsatisfactory
law. ever rushed through the As
semhIy. The lesson Taught may he
~ service the remainder Of the
session. IL shows that with all the
legal lore and acknowledged common
sense at tho service OF the Assembly,
that an act. whose essential provls-
ION 10 couohod In about Thirty words,
may bs practically imperative from
Inherent defects This should nj
moniah every member to put on the
brakes provided for regulating too
rapid motion. The rules require
reading ~ each bill, on three sue
ce.alvs days. but the facility with
With these safeguards arc "sus
pended by tho present House has
never been equalsd by any previous
sssemblage Of that body. Tho
speaker does not even require mo-
ton. but "by consent passes the
bill 20 q second reading and refers IT
% q committee without motion,
places on FINAL passage by the same
turn Of tho wrist, and declares " the
title Of the bill 10 be tho title Of tho
act. frequently without roadlng this
important adjunct which the Or
game Act requires must specifically
state the single object Of every bill.
The rules are specially designed as
safeguards against hasiy legislation,
aud should bs rigidly adhered TO,
under oil ordinaiy circumstances.
The volume Of legislation might DO
smaller, but II would DO Of better
quality. Pot schemes might Ian
guish. but tho public service would
thrive. Fewer mombois might de-
lujo themselves that they were bInz.
oning their names on tho imperisha-
BILE roll OF fame, bu, aa compensation
they would escape tho excavations
which follow such efforts for personal
distinction at the expense Of tho
public service. The innumerable
errors ON the statute book whereby
peitlfogglng lawyers are enabled TO
drive n coach and.four" though 30
maIy provisions honestly enacted
for the public safety. whereby nc.
Lnowlcdg,d violaiofs 81 law are on
ablod TO escape the penalty Of ,hoi
crimes. litigauis are pu' To unnecos-
sary costs aud the llilo ~ their hold
ings Ia clpwded would be materially
lessone,l
Tie ,hseo" III, world governed
tou much." finds n new application
though such methods I law making.
u enables the possc.sur II he skull
cap hnd gown to -, aide, oh tech
meal grounds, The clearly implied
will ot the law making power This
has led. ia our Territory. to the fir
tree aallowp. aud the combination OF
citizens Ia protect themselves against
palpable violation Of ..hc spirit aud
intent. u no, the letter, Of law. A
long M mankind IN endowed with
earthly imperiseiions. and men. as
Judges. mus, bc charged with the
ADMINISTRATION Of the Law. each act
should bc crys,alized into form ms
nearly perfect as human agency can
make II. With all due respect. we
affirm that this can never he done
through the methods pursued by our
present Legislature Even the three
learned Judges OF the Assembly, all
OF whom have filed long terms on
the Supreme bench. frequently dif-
fer. not only a. TO tho expediency
OF measures seemingly simple and
fair. but on the Judicial meaning OF
words and the consiitutionality Of
acts which appear TO DO clear TO tho
ordinary mind M n demonstrated
proposition.
"Wben doctors disagree. who
shall decide Y Deliberation.
800
~. IN some people claim. the
Northern Pacific railroad has no
equitable title 10 tho larger proper.
ton OF its land in Washington Tor.
ritory, why have these individuals
persisted in tho demand that these
same lands should be taxed Now
that their position has been very nat
urally strengthened by q quasi.ofli-
cial endorsement Of Commissioner
Sparks, will they consent 10 n levy