Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-23

Mooref1eld Storey of Massachusetts,.
MOOrfield StOrey's Address.
The annual address was delivered by Mr..
Moorfeld Storey Of Boston, whose subject
was 1.-THE American Legislature" In open
ing. Mr.. Storey said:
I'VE Americans, enjoying as We have
a material prosperity beyond historic prece-
dent. brought up with an abiding faith in
our free Institutions and the good sense Of
our people, and confident that whatever
the ills Of the present our future ct least is
secure. have cultivated phiios0phic in
difference to every political evil, in the
firm belief that whenever the situation gets
bad enough We can easily apply the rem
edy. Yet 1t must occur occasionally to even
the most confident American that certain
tendencies have shown themselves with
increasing frequency in recent years, and
that certain changes are gradually taking
place In our theories Of government, which
we cannot afford to ignore. Whether due
to the defects peculiar to our system or to
forces operating alike in every civilized
country, they deserve the most careful
attention.
Every observer Of our political history
during the last twenty years must have
been struck with the change which has
taken place In the attitude of our people
toward the fundamental principles Of our
government Free institutions rest upon
confidence in the legislature. respect for
the law, obedience to the will Of the ma
jority, and the recognition of every mans
right to labor ard to enjoy the fruits Of
his labor"
The speaker alluded briefly to the con-
tempt of law evinced in the conduct of
labor strikes. and to the conflicts Of the
last twenty years for the control of state
legislatures. as those Of Maine, when Carce-
Ion was governor of Kansas last year. and
of New Jersey this year. which could but
have the effect to lower the estimation in
which the people held the IL w-making pow
ON 10 hn hlfns1 faff tn, toll
tive wisdom.
From the most august legislative body
in the country, the Senate of the United
States. down to the aldermen of New York.
the citizen too often diStrusts, fears and
is ashamed Of his representatives" said
the speaker
THE business community throughout the
country welcomes the adjournment of Con-
gress as the end of a season filled with per-
plexity and dread. If We applaud Congress
1t Is rather because bad laws have been re-
pealed. or bad propositions have been de-
feated. than because good laws have been
passed. We congratulate ourselves upon
our narrow escares, and wonder whether
We shall be equally fortunate again. The
citizen who seeks reform, whether he sits
In Congress or stands without his doors,
must be wonderfully persistent IL he Is not
discouraged by the singular incapacity of
that body to deal with great public ques-
tons upon public grounds. Is 1t too much
to say that We no longer look to Congress
too often We fl I'd 1t obstructing rather than
aiding the passage of wise measures which
the people desire?
when a state legislature meets, every
great corporation within its reach prepares
for self-defense, knowing, by bitter exper-
fence, how Hospitality attacks upon its prop
erty are received in committees and on the
floor. The private citizen. on his own part.
never knows what cherished right may not
be endangered by existing monopolies, or by
schemers in search of valuable franchises.
In Massachusetts, during each successive
session for years, 1 have heard on every
hand, This is the worst legislature We have
ever had but do not believe that Massa-
chusetts is more unfortunate than her sis
tiers m New England and If the old-time
virtues still exist in Pennsylvania, or Mary
land, or California, or the great states of
the south. the west and the northwest, 1
shall hope to learn from their representa-
tives in this body the secret of it's preserva-
tion."
Distrust Of Legislators.
Toward municipal legislatures the speak
er found the same distrust existing. Bien-
NAL sessions of state legislatures he re-
garded as an evidence of public distrust,
also evinced in the constitutional inhibition
Of special legislation. The same distrust is
reflected in the legislature itself, and no.
where SO strongly in the federal House
OF Representatives, which, by its rules, has
so fettered its own action as to have almost
Of the majority has been. to a large ex-
tent, substituted the arbitrary will Of the
Speaker.
Whether, then. we look at the constitu-
lions which the people adopt and the rules
OF the House of Representatives, or listen
to the common speech of men, We find that
the faith In the representatives of the peo-
PIE on which our government was founded
Is gradually weakening
Loss of faith in the legislature Is loss of
faith In representative government loss of
faith In the people themselves, and this
feeling really lies at the root of the changes
In public opinion on fundamental principles
already noted. More or less distinctly
recognized, the idea that the corporations
have corrupted the legislatures is dormant
In the minds Of many, and bribery Is made
the excuse for anarchy. The danger against
winch we guarc in constitutions, and which,
IN conversation, We recognize and deplore
Is the danger that private interests can at
FORD to pay for the privileges which they
seek prices which the ordinary legislator
cannot refuse
The lobbyist.
Mr.. Storey spoke at some length of the
method by which lobbyists and corruption
lists pursue their nefarious work, citing
various instances Of the bribery of legis-
lators In the interest of corporations or
individuals. He explained, by quoting
from utterances of professional lobbyist
the ways in which the lobby sought to
bidhS itSel Indispensable the promoters
OF legitimate as well as Of predatory en-
terprises.
When" said he, Legislators of last
year are making large incomes in the lob
by, are their associates in the legislature
who have retained their seats likely to
desire no share in their good fortune? Are
the men whose votes pass or defeat meas
ures invariably willing that all the profits
arising from their actions shall be reaped
by men who simply talk to them?
when a bill is introduced into the legis-
lature which gives to certain private indi-
viduals the right to take their neighbors
property without adequate compensation, to
tax their fellow-citizens or to use the pub
lie streets for private purposes the Ordi-
nary voter smiles and thinks that SO abb
surd a measure cannot possibly pass, even
in our legislature When, however, after
q period of incubation in committee spent
in educating the legislature, the measure
is reported the public awakes. and certain
citizens whose interests are menaced or
whose public spirit Is exceptional bestir
themselves, only to find legislature too
thoroughly educated to be reached by ar
gument and determined to pass the bill
which seemed impossible.
Great corporations secure or deface
legislation at will and dominate the politics
of whole states and their power rests on
t1y,s