Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-04-03
SOME QUEER BILLS
introduced in the Various De-
Lucrative Bodies.
FREAKISH STATE LEGISLATION.
The Past Winters Grist of Odd Meas
ures-Unusual But Meritorious
Propositions.

For three months while the National
Congress has been telling out its dole
full tale of disaster, the legislatures of
forty four States and the several Terri
tories have been contributing pictur-
esaue chapters to the history of demo-
cratic government. As the winter
SHOWS melt and the frost comes out of
the ground the farmer Legislatures of
the West are adjourning one after an
other.
Pastures of growing green and mea-
dows awaiting the pillow have sum
moned rural members back to the farm
side and cut short the diverting Incl
dents of lawinaking for the common
wealth. The Eastern legislatures III owe
more slowly, but already the closing
days are at hand in several New Eng
land bodies, and the press OF other
States abound with limitations to their
representatives that speedy action is
desirable.
The Legislature of Oklahoma was
one of the first to adjourn and its last
important act was to bid, i'll the
name of the Territory, for the support
of the gambling element of the coun-
try passing law legalizing prize
fighting. The Kansas State House
closed about the same time. The end
of the Indiana Legislature was marked
by wild riot, in which pistols and
fists were used and several dozen were
injured. Other State bodies closed
with unusual ceremonies and of each
it may be said: 1.-THE question of its
death is enrolled in the Capitol"
The political artist and the drama
fist of contemporary morals have be-
fore them rich mass of material in
the deliberations of the sovereign people
of this country during the winter.
Every absurdity imaginable has been
dragged out and paraded in formal
habiliments as a candidate for enact
ment into law. The woman question
and the labor question have wrestled
with grotesque schemes of reform and
undisguised horseplay.
1t is an impressive justification of the
wisdom of party government executing
itself through caucusses and the yetoes
of representative party governors that
so few arbsurdities have erept into the
law of the land. Individual freaks
there have been. but the old parties
have stood by their records and daft
legislation has been smothered in COM
mittee or killed indiscussion. There
have been no populist legislatures like
that which exiled capital from Kansas
several years since and branded thrift
in Texas. And. however grotesque
some of the bills proposed have seemed,
they are not a market to the petitions,
resolutions. and protests which bodies
of citizens have presented for action to
their representatives.
But the makeup Of these State
bodies was peculiar. The black horse
cavalry from the cities has had its
cohorts of bushwhackers lying in wait
ready to raid in behind innocent-look-
ing bills. Rural members unused to
town life and little acquainted with
ready money have found themselves
confronted by the temptations of the
lobby. These often they have stoutly
resisted, and they have set out to re-
fern the evils of State very much as
they would start forth over potato
field, with little cans of legislative
paris green to shake upon the potato
bugs of the body polite.
Some of the statesmen returned APP
parently richly laden with spoils of
victory. When the Indiana Senate
adjourned this week it was found, ac-
cordii g to an Indianapolis source. that
three large lamps, all the stationery,
pens, pencils, ink erasers and waste
baskets, as we'll as five heavy porcelain
cuspidors, had disappeared. Every drink
ing glass and one water cooler were
gone, the brass chains went with them,
and reporter was short one pair of
rubbers The chandelier and the big
clock were left. 1T was noticeable"
says this report, "that the Senators
themselves went out with heavy pack
ages"
The student of history may extract
entertainment and instruction by SUR
vey of the cross currents of innovation
and retrogression which have eddied
about legislative committee rooms dur
ing the winter. The paternal idea of
government has apparently made amaz-
ing progress, and the palmy days of the
French Directory could scarcely fur
nish more exaggerated examples of the
instinct to settle private affairs by pub
lie action. But there have been re.
freshing returns to the old order which
perisheth.
Last Wednesday the Connecticut
repealed the ancient Blue
law, so-called, leveled against Sunday
diversions. In the neighboilng State of
however. bill to pro-
hibit licensing Sunday entertainments
has received favorable action. Mon
tana enacted an gambling law.
70 did Kansas. In Missouri the House |
ent to engrossment a bill which would |
,revent card playing in the family
ircle on the first day of the week. 1t |