Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-01-07
THE LEGISLATURES.

uas. lnere is no reason tor extended
comment now upon what anticipation
may suggest will be done. There are no
very serious problems that ought to come
before the body. Such legislation as should
be had Is obvious to every one who has
given much thought to the needs of the
State. All reasonable aid should be ex-
tended to every commendable effort to ad-
vance the State, advertise it abroad, and
secure for its products the largest and
widest possible market. Since it has been
said that it is the intention to project the
hydraulic mining question into the houses
1t Is to be hoped that the Legislature will
will not be asked to enter upon any scheme
to legalize system that has been declared
against by every Court before which the
matter has come, nor to engage in any
legislation to put in greater jeopardy the
interests along the rivers flowing out of
mining sections.
There will be offered many amendments
to the codes, and we recall a few that
should pass: to require the trial of divorce
cases in Court, and the abolition of refer
ence; to reform the system of new trials.
and appeals from refusal to grant them,
upon the plan advised by Mr.. Justice Nc
Farland, of the Supreme Court; to amend
the election law SO that the counting of the
ballots shall BE done under judicial direc-
ton; 10 make effective the laws regulating
weights and measures to restore vitality
to the law requiring the Supreme Judges
to reside at the capital, and to have their
chief offices in the State Capitol; to make
the office of Superintendent of State Print
ing elective; to require payment of fees to
State officers to be made upon certificates
issued by the Controller or some other
official.
There is not now known any rea-
son why there should be a session
extending beyond the sixty-day limit or
that indicates necessity for any great
amount of friction IN either house. The
chief thing to be feared is the ambition 10
flood the houses with bills, resulting in the
most meritorious measures-which have
the fewest outside workers-being showed
under a file impossible of discharge within
the limits of the legislative session. Next
IN order of matters to be guarded against
is the scandalous disposition to send COM
mittees galloping about the State There
is no public institution into the affairs of
which the Legislature will wish to in
quire that cannot be investigated at the
Capitol; and without withdrawing men,
bers from legislative labor in their re-
spective chambers, Committee visitatiors
are really of no practical utility; they
are never surprises, and never develop
anything that may not as well be brought
to light by bringing the witnesses to the
Legislature.
In legislation outside of the codes, per
haps none will be more important than
such as may be found needful to carry out
and complete the water-power scheme at
the Folsom Branch Prison, and such legis-
lation as may be determined upon for
reformation of the laws concerning recla-
nation districts, with a view of enabling
harmonious and uniform system to be
adopted along the whole line of river low
lands, instead of the patchwork antagon-
izing system of the present. There will
probably be offered several constitutional
amendments, and one or two perhaps that
should be adopted, and which it will be time
enough to consider when they come up. We
may reasonably look also for some action
relative to the establishment of a reforma-
tory fer juvenile offenders, and the separa-
ton Of tyros in crime from the hardened
and incorrigible convicts. But any legis-
lation of that kind should be steered clear
of institutional prison plans; what we
want is a system fashioned something after
the cottage and central detention building
system of Massachusetts,, system that
does not brand the youthful offenders
by uniforming them, not contemplate
detention any longer than is neces-
sary TO find a home for the boy,
where he can be trained to a useful man
hood. At Folsom the State has ample
grounds and facilities for introducing the
system. Suggested by this reference is the
need for an apprentice law, and the wis
dom of adopting the parole system for re-
forming prisoners, which is working so ad-
mirably in Ohio, and is under partial and
successful trial in New York.
If it we're now possible under our pres
ent system, as it will be some day, to have
all proposed legislation affecting the codes
submitted TO Commission PRIOR to intro
duction in the Houses, for advice and for
harmonizing, great deal of valuable time
could be saved and much more harmoni-
Gus system of laws would result. But in
Its absence the best that can be done is to
advise against the effort at every session Of
the Legislature to reform the whole sys-
TEN of laws. a score of men usually
come up TO each session with satchels full
of amendments to the codes that are In
the judgment of each of the authors
specifies for all ills, and that will har-
monte and round out the entire system.
The result has generally been TO weaken
the code systefa and to destroy its harmony.
1t is good plan for the legislator to put
himself under self-restraint in the DISPOSE
ton to multiply bills amendatory of the
codes, in view of the fact that nine-tenths
OF those offered are certain to find burial
In that tomb of ambition to accomplish law
reform, the Judiciary Committee. 1t is 50
much easier to point the way than go in
1t; to find fault than remedy; to indicate
what should be done than to accomplish
it, that the wise legislator contents him
self with devoting his energies TO few
absolutely needed measures, and resolutely
setting his lace against all patchwork and
the temptation to work reform along the
whole line.