The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-08-30

visions under which electric or cable
roads could be operated through the
streets. To our ancestors came not even
a dream that one day the human voice
could be heard across thousands OF miles
OF distance. They had laws to punish
wltchcraft but none to cover the larceny
of telegraph messages by wlre-tappers,
or the theft Of light by Illicit. connec-
tion with an electric circuit. AS inven-
tion and discovery have added new pro-
cesses and devices to the tool shop OF
civilization, novel adjustments OF the
laws have been required to regulate the
business of the world to the improved
conditions. Yet the masses of trivial
legislation, of statutes uncalled for by
any public inconvenience or necessity,
go on increasing. confusing the citizen,
embarrassing the lawyer and perpiexing
the courts of justice with contradictions.
Inconsistencies, dilemmas and floods OF
verbal turgidity. Laws enacted one year
are repealed the next, to give place to
some new conception. The spirit of con-
servatism dies out in the fierce unrest OF
this busy age.
Every other department of business. of
trade. of art, of commerce, has Its skilled
and experienced men, its engineers, lts
electricians, its statisticians It's aren't
tects it's designers. If a new railroad is
chosen, surveys are made, levels are
taken, the cost Is estimated, the probable
traffic computed, all by men trained In
such work. If an electric light plart
Is to be installed, the services OF an elec-
trical engineer are called in, and the
work is planned and constructed under
his scientific and practical guidance. III
water works are projected for town.
the hydraulic engineer first studies the
watershed that is to furnish the supply,
measures the flow of the streams, COM
putes the probable consumption of water
both for present uses and for long per-
iods of future growth. He plans with
scientific precision, and every step Is
taken by his advice and direction. SO
also IL system of sewerage is to be
constructed, the same appropriate direc-
tion and advice are employed. If a public
library is established, 1t Is chosen,
housed, shelved and distributed accord
ing to the principles of library practice
established and approved by the wisest
experts in that department. Men of bus
iness enterprise have come universally
to recognize that every scheme of con-
struction and development should be un-
dertaken only under the guidance and ad-
vice of those whose business Ii Is to
furnish expert and professional assist
ance. In the construction of laws only
Is this skilled assistance considered un-
making law, all requirements of special
study, experience, training and legal In
sight, are absent. There Is no skilled
class of legislators, nor is there any
school of legislation at which may be
learned the theory and practice Of con-
structing a statute.
There is room for improvement in the
quality of the men selected as members
of the state legislatures. Too much re-
gard Is paid to political qualifications
and not enough to legislative ability.
This is not the fault of the citizens; very
often they get the best obtainable. There
is great failure on the part of men
who are specially qualified by education
and attainments, to do their whole duty
to the state by serving in the legislative
bodies of the state and the city. 1 have
observed that the people prefer to choose
high-class public agents when they can
get them. But the scholars and lawyers
best qualified to guide and restrain leg
islation very rarely are willing to give
their time to public service in the leg
islature. On rare occasions they will
come forth and serve the state with
great zeal and benefit but usually they
confine their activity to criticising what
less competent men have done. We
need a larger contribution of the time
and brains of our ADLER business men and
lawyers, both in state legislatures and
in the common councils of cities. Their
expert knowledge and conservative habits
will strike the enacting clause out of
many a useless bill that otherwise would
drift through on the tide that Is more
easy to float with than to stem. We need
more legislators with moral and legal
backbone to stand against all propo-
sitions that lack positive utility.