The record-union., 1897-09-05

science ard self-respect sufficient
to insure calm. deliberate and
conscientious duty-doing. Honesty
is not enough The honest.
clean-handed man may be the greatest
of blunderers. Added TO honesty, We
need competency, and competency OF
the highest order. The complexity of
legislation annually increases because
of the constantly increasing complexity
OF our civilization, and the higher needs
of business and social life, and hence
competency is the more needed.
Just how we are to secure that class
Of legislators is another question. Gen
orally it may be said that they will
present themselves and be accepted,
when the evil complained of becomes
so great and threatening as to menace
the whole scheme of State Govern
ment Then the people viii demand
ability in the legislative seat and secure
it. But it will not approach the State
Houses under present conditions, save
here and there in isolated cases. The
compensation will not justify the poor
man, and the well-to-do is too busy
chasing the dollar, or is careless of the
public veal so long as his own hearth
stone is safe.
The suggestion of Mr.. Reed, if he
made it, is simply for the erection Of a
legislative dictator, which is out of the
question, and impossible under our sys-
tenn as we have it. Some years ago
it was suggested in this State that there
be erected an advisory board before
which all proposed legislation should
go to ascertain just what would be its
effect, and how far, if at ALL it worked
repeals; but this would be only adding
another wheel to the machinery with
out correcting the original fault; in
deed because of the reliance placed up
on such board our legislators would
become more careless, and the people
less circumspect in selecting them.
A new plan was submitted to the last
Legislature that was received with
good deal of favor. 1t provided that all
bills should be introduced and referred
to committees within given period,
say thirty days That the houses
should then adjourn for three months,
and reassembling do nothing but con-
slider the bills; no new measures being
] z[1s To hi =
the increased cost of legislation, but
that would be scarcely worthy of con-
sideration, if thereby we got desired
results.
In Connecticut the Legislature some
years ago provided for, and the State
now has a clerk of high ability at a
fine salary whose sole duty is to follow
all bills introduced and point out any
blunders made. But the error referred
to regarding the liquor law, escaped the
scrutiny of that clerk.
We must come back to the original
remedy, competency on the part of leg
islators, and this presupposes the Sc
oughly imbued with the spirit of re-
form in this respect. Unless this is
/ possible, less selection can be made by
the people from among men equipped
| for the legislative office in all respects,
and unless such men can be induced
to serve the people, then the tighten
ing of the Legislative paralysis will
go on, as the Post" puts it. But as
We have said, there will come a time
when the very proportions of the evil
of weak, faulty, blundering, corrupt
and extorting legislation, will work its
own reform, by such disgust of the
public stomach that it will turn upon
itself