The Washington critic., 1890-02-09

colony Of Georga an able constitution
The colony, after n miserable existence
under its requirements, abandoned the
theoretical document and lived for
twenty years without any constitution.
The scientist takes only general,
theoretical view. and discovers the
human race in his preparations; the
lawyer regards the needs of the com
munily, recognizes the existence of in
diyidual circumstance and appreciates
future eXigcncics.
THE COMMISSIONERS ADVISER.
"What do l think of placing the leg
islaiive power of the Government in
the hands Of SCIENTISTS" repeated Dis
tiict Attorney Hazelton. First, | am
satisfied that no law is Of advantage
that does not meet the approval of q
majority Of the American people so that
II can be readily enforced and obeycd,
and il the power of legislation was left
exclusively in the hands of such
scientists as you suggest, or, indeed,
of any one interest. 1t would result in
the enactment of laws that would be II
dead letter upon our statute books.
The law making power Of this nation is
representation of all the diversified
interests of the county. The bank. the
farm, the merchant, the mine, the rail
road. science and commerce, religion
and education. arc all represented there,
and IL is that representation of the va
Iied interests of the States and Terrific
ries, of domestic and international com
mercc, that assures the strength, uni
formity and fitness of our legislation
and makes it acceptable to the people.
The lawyer may not know as much
about the facts or necessity of legisla-
tion upon certain subjects as the scieu-
list. farmer. or merchant, or railroad
man may know. but he does know bet.
ter Than all these combined how to
franc the very law they need, so that il
will stand the test OF the courts under
the Constitution and be susceptible
of just administration Suppose you
should eliminate all the great charters.
legislative enactmenis, and declarations
Of human rights which have been fash
ioned by the brain aud hand of the law
| yer, In the civilization of the world, what
would YOU have left? What scientist
could you name and there are many great
and splendid men among them, who
could have filed the place of Speaker
Reed in pulling out the snags aud
/ debris which have cloggcd the stream
/ of legislative power in this government
| for quarter of century and more,
and in restoring TO the parliamentary
! law of the House the constitutional
right of the majority 10 legislate for
the American people. [ appreciate as
much as anybody the greats value of
science and the high character of the
men who have been and now are en-
gagged in its promotion, but think that
! they should have nothing more than n
/ just and fair representation, as they
1 now have in the legislative power of
| this country"
JOHN LoCKE's SCHEME.
A. G.. Riddle, ex-Attorney for the
District, says this idea of scientists as
law makers was tried when the great
English philosopher John Locke, the
author of Locke on Understanding,
was requested to formulate scheme OF
government for one or more of the
American colonies. The scheme which
he advocated was found to be most i'm
practicable, and there was no attempt
made 10 put it into practice Those
men should make the laws who in
tveIy day life and in the conduct OF
ihtir business are dealing with men and
their ways. Practical men and not
dreamers should make the laws The
profession does not, as profession, at
tempt to secure the entrance of theii
members into law-makiug bodies, and
when one does 60 it is deplored as &
loss.
THEORISTS NOT oRIGINAToRs.
j. Walter Cookley said: 81 am
Of the opinion that the infusion
into the law making bodies OF
men of more scientific attachments
would be better than at present. How
ever, the thinkers and theorists whom
we call jurists, are in reality the origi
nators of nearly all the greater measures
eminating from law making bodies
The present legislators are merely
middle men"