The record-union., 1891-03-27
HooDLUAIIsM IN THE LEGISLATURES

HOODLUAIISM IN THE ELEGIsLATURE
The closing hours of the late Legislature
indicated Legislative degeneracy of the
most humiliating order. Hoodlumism
stalked into the Assembly, took posses
sion of the seat of supreme authority, and
disgraced California before the face of the
nation.
No human being can give decent
reason why, in its closing hours, law
making body, representing the highest
authority known to our system, should
become mob of hoodlums If dignity
and decorum may be cast aside then,
they may with equal propriety be aban-
doned at any other time. If rowdyism is
tolerable in the last hours of a session it
is in order at any time.
For considerable period prior to the
closing hours, the night sessions of the
late Assembly were characterized by
noisy and boyish conduct that was shame
ful for men and in boys would have been
punished by the application of shingle
where it would do the most good. Rolls
of paper were thrown about the room,
coarse remarks indulged in, tricks and
devices of alleged STUN" were common,
and disorder and rowdyish behavior was
marked. Citizens of the State in plenti-
ful numbers went to these sessions and
came away shamed and indignant, and
visitors from the East We're studiously
kept away from these romping sittings of
the House for obvious reasons.
But on the last st;night of the session such
little restraint as had remained broke
down and the hoodlum ruled. All man
ner of silly, rude, coarse and even insult
ing antics and clownish performances
were INDUCED in. Members bombarded
each other with paper rolls, baskets, desk
fittings and all light articles that came to
hand. So furious was the rain of missiles
that one lady for very fear of bodily harm
was driven from her seat; fire crackers
were exploded upon carpets that cost
the State heavy sums only last
summer, and the smell of burning
punk and Chinese paper pervaded
the atmosphere, while some of the ex-
plosive agents of the ''wit'' of the hood
lums were cast beneath the very feet of
ladies, endangering their lives.
A Jo;1 IL Ill 4
was shelved, gentility, such as there had
been, was abandoned, and uproars, hub
hub, believing, clownish acting and
farcical performing usurped the hour and
the manliness that should characterize
the legislative assembly.
Old legislators bear testimony that
never before has legislative body in this
State so misbehaved, and we are certain
that in no other State has an Assembly
Cham ber been transformed into melo-
deon hall.
The contagion reached the Senate, and
even that body descended to indulgence
in Chinatown New Years racket. IN
AS~N, ~ 81 huuSu uuDSHt tud6 ny CiOWU-
ish behavior it covered itself with folly,
enveloped itself in the smoke of Chinese
bombs and crackers, and converted the
chamber into dive concert hall.
No one ever has, or will, object to
genuine wit at such time. The intro
duction or passage of clever humorous
resolutions. the delivery of witty
speeches, the exchange of bright repartee,
the indulgence in even personal inof-
fensive references, mock legislation, etc.,
may all be engaged in without impro-
'priety, but never to degree of boyish-
ness and folly. OF course it will be said
that such protest as we enter is straight
laced and stiff-backed, that ''the bows
should be allowed some latitude" and so
on. But such free and easy conformation
of tom-foolery will not be received by
the people, who regard American institu-
tions with jealous love. If it is needed
that ''the boys" have aschance. let them
take it in its proper field. Men are sent
to legislative halls to behave in manly
way, and to observe the proprieties that
distinguish gentlemen from hoodlums.