Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-01-21
The Kind OF Timber We Need.

III tuO uiSlOiy VI tuc otttc 10 suo
course usually pursued in the Sc
lection Of Legislators. No one can
visit the present Legislature, now in
session in jackson, and not bc pro
impressed with tho fact
that whatever may be said Of the
integrity and good intentions OF a
majority Of the members, and We
doubt not that a great deal might
be said in their favor in these par
ticulars, they are utterly nl'
trained as law makers, ard conSc-
quently incompetent to act in that
capacity.
In order to succced in the law
ministry, madeleine, mechanics,
farming, or III any other capacity a
man must have some training in
that direction, and the daily fail
ures witnessed in each OF these pro-
lessious ma.le by unframed men
are proof OF the fact. And yet,
men are either born Legislators, Oh
are made 30 by Il county convention
in single Lour. Statecrait Is q
science that is mastered b! a gra'
many legislators on their way from
nome 10 tie capitol. AS long rs
this course is pursued, nothing hut
disaster can come to the State
How can any man build or repair Il
ship when he does not know the
relative dependence of one part up
Oh another! How can he amend
tie laws of Tie State aud enact
new ones when nc has 10 earthly
idea of the laws Ia existence! How
can q man pass iu,cl'i:ently upon
the question Of "vested rights
when lac does not know the mean.
ing OF the tcim'
What is the uSc 10 talk TO Il man
about the decision in the Dart.
mouth college c,sc, when he does
not know in what cOuntryo Or cSn;u'
~ il was decided, much less what
il decided! And then we might
inquire ad intini,am, IN reference
10 the most vital questions OF the
day, and each inquiry would Sug'
gest the absurii,y Of II thoroughly
man trying, however
honestly, 10 make laws for the peo'
pie of the State. Is it not . Ia
fact, that a large number
Of the present members never nc.
quaint themselves with the rcvc.
nuCS Of the State and vote upon
appropriations rather with refer.
crencc to the man that introduces
them, and other cXtranCous matters
than with rcierrnce Ia tho ncccSSi.
ty OF the appropriation, or the abili'
Is of the State TO meet III
Ii is bad enough for q man in
private he TO make contracts that
he can not mcct-but il ridiculous
for the representatives OF the pco.
pc TO involve the state IN bank
ruptcy-and financial ruin-by ig-
norance of common business prin.
ciplcS. How many of the preSen I
of the legislature have
taken the pains to ascertain the
exact revenue OF the State aud tho
necessary outlay in running the
State! This article is not the ont
growth of any complaint against
individual members of the legisla-
ture, but it is directed ut the sys.
tenn for which the people are just
~ much to blame ~ the legislators
themselves. So long rs this course
il pursued nothing but evil can
come with each succeeding session
OF the legislature. 1t is not neces-
sary that every legislator should bc
u lawyer; every interest should be
guarded and the fact is, a great
many lawyers are just rs incompe'
tent as any one else, but no man
should I've elected to the legislature
unless he has sufficient ability and
industry to acquaint himself with
statutes of the State. This view
is strengthened when We consider
the fact tina: the State is hut one
degree removed from the nation,
aud her wants need TO be guarded
~ much as the wants OF the nation,
apd yet we find men, who have
made political science and the phi
losophy of government, the study
of their whole lives wrestling fer
weeks, even years, and reading
everything that can be obtained on
the subject, in order to know how
to vote on measures that arise in
the Congress OF the United States,
upon which the Mississippi lcgis'
lator would have an unalterablc
opinion the first time lie heard
the subject brcathcd on the streets.
IL it were not for q few thoughtful
men at the helm, We would say
God pity the craft of State.
r. II. Henry Elected State Printer.
On Tuesday night the two houses
of the legislature met in Joint con.
yan,inn aud nrocaaIlal IN nlact