Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-07
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the legislation of Europe. It would be
impossible here, if we did not divide
| government so that forty three different
| legislative bodies haYe the oversight of
matters which thers are left to one. We
thus gam the benefit of the careful over
sight and opinion of perhaps 100 or 200
members of each legislature, while in
| London or in Paris, even If the bill be
| printed, still it is almost impossible in
the rush of business for an individual to
make real effort for its amendment,
| excepting in those more important mat
| tiers which may be considered national in
| their character.
A SCHOOL OF LEGISLATION.
Now here is really our school of legis-
| lation, and an admirable school it is. A
young man comes into a state IegisIa-
ture, and it is quite within his power to
read and examine carefully every bill
which is brought forward. On those sub
jects in which he is well informed it is
quite within his power to make SUCCESS
tions and improvements, and it is GER
tainly true, as Garfield said, that all the
people are wiser than any one man of the
people. The chances of sensible aud
practicable law coming out from the
cauldron Of discussion OF one of our local
legislatures are thus much greater than
they are for such law to come out from
the shorthand methods of the French or
English parlIaments. And we gain not
only the ingenuity which has shown itself
in thu statute, but at the same time we
gam the training of the men who made
the statute.
Just as it happened in the first century
of our existence when a great many
foolish and bad laws were passed, only
to be repealed, the same thing happens
easily now. But, if one state do make q
mistake in its legislation, there is an OBJ
portunity, generally in the next year, to
correct that mistake, and no other state
follows. But if it makes a forward step
in its legislation, every state is on the
lookout, and in a few years that step
forward has been taken by the country.
Interesting Illustrations of this are in the
experiment tried IN Connecticut, under
the lead of Mr.. Hinsdale of Winsted
toward what we now call limited compa-
mics or private corporations. Every state
in America has followed the Connecticut
legislation, every civilized state in Eu-
rope has followed the Legislation of
America. A similar instance is the ex-
pertinent tried by the state of Maine,
which permitted persons against whom
an indictment has been brought to testify
as Witnesses in the case, if they chose.
This Improvement was suggested by Mr..
Albert Paine of Bangor. 1t has now
been introduced into the legislation of
half the American states, and the ex-
ample again has been followed in Eng
land. But if matter like this, con-
fessedly experimental, had been left to
the legislation of a body with national
interests in hand, like congress or like
the English and French parliamepts, it
would have been well nigh impossible to
bring the experiment to trial.
OUR BANKING SYSTEM BORROWED.
Another very interesting instance of
the result of our methods Is in the bank
ing system of England and of this ooun-
try. Since Mr.. Chase introduced the ma
tional system of America, at the Begin
ming of the civil war. the circulation of
this country has been based on bonds de-
.bosited with the government and kept by
them, which are sufficient in amount to
make it sure that, in any contingency,
the bank circulation will be made good
This has been the system of England
since 1845, when it was introduced by Sir
Robert Peel. should like to say, in