The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-01-24
LEGISLATIVE CHARACTER.

these bodies during Ine ulScudISo VI
their high functions, says the >. T.
Alta, we have no doubt. With the
propagation of the theory that an act
of the legislature can do everything
except change a woman to a man, has
grown the opportunity to make "busi-
ness" of legislation. The tendency to
invade individual affairs by legisla-
ton is still on the increase. 1t has
been discovered that one mans bus
mess may be invaded upon the rea-
sonable pretext of protecting another
mans rights. And it has also been
discovered that very often the man
who is threatened with invasion is
willing to pay for immunity. These
cognate facts have no doubt called
into public life many who never sus-
pected before that they had in them
capacity for craftsmanship. But
when they try that occupation they
surprise themselves and frequently
astonish the public by their success.
Our institutions seem to have been
invigorated to the point of withstand
ing an immense amount of amateur
and practical craftsmanship, of which
the state legislatures are at once the
schoolia iand the theater. We use the
word practical to distinguish the
acquisitive svariety of craftsmanship
from the theoretical, which considers
a few great and simple principles OF
government, applies them to human
affairs and there stops. This latter
variety is kept greatly in check by
modern political methods, and those
who still hold to it are regarded as
far behind the times. Principles are
not regarded as the equal of converti-
BILE securities in determining the pro-
priety or the improperly Of any pro-
posed legislation. The people who
are interested have fallen into the
habit Of preventing all the adverse
legislation they can stop by notation
and enumeration, and trust to the
courts to deacon the rest.
There should be a better state OF
affairs. Legislation should be more
intelligent in proportion to its volume
and the opportunity to pass laws
should not 80 often be seized by law
makers to advance their personal for.
tunes but really there is no remedy
except such as must come by induc-
ing better and buster men to take part
in legislation. As things go now the
newspapers support the nominees for
legislative Office, and during a cam
paign they are represented by the re-
spective party organs as vestal in
their public morals and men of high
forehead. This is at a time when
they are considered individually.
They are elected and then they fuse
into a mass. They are the legisla-
ture, and before that body meets the
same newspapers daily announce it to
be in an advanced state of decompo-
sition. By the time its houses have
been called to order the press has
made them aboutsa5 disreputable as
if they were for assignation
instead of legislation. The news
papers see corruption in every
thing from the reading of the jour
nal to the appointment OF a page, and
the effect is to discourage and dis
countenance the men who ought to be
in law-making body. who have per
sonal pride and self-respect 10 be
wounded by wholesale accusations
and unjust suspicious; while those
who ought not to be in a Legislature
at all find there most efficient protec.
ton to rascality in the undiscrimi-
mating censure which is kept on taI
from the opening to tbs close of q
session.
The press has made tho unfortunate
discovery that people would rather
read mean things than good about
each other.
The genius of journalism is.noj Ion
ger represented by the philosopher
writing wisdom by the light of the
attic lamp, nor even by Mercury
bringing news, but by Ishmael with
his hand against every man. And it
is to Ishmaelism incarnate that we
owe the progressive degradation oi
public character. The capital qualif-
cation for many responsible places in
public life is no longer trained mind
=. but thick hide, and it is no wonder
that such places are filed by men
whose talents are therefore skin deep.
Public duty has come to mean per.
sonal disgrace to the men who are by
far the best fitted for it, and so they
stay in honorable retirement.
In majority .of'states at this mo-
ment the press is. holding up the leg
islatafe.to execration as public spec
fanla b11t d0oo o,,,y 1,,o 49,. L. .n.I