The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-11-10
action - earnest expressions of public


The1o as practical break down of
our legislative system. 1t has ceased to
be representative system. Popular
education is more general than ever be-
fore; the standard of public morality is
higher than it used to be; the present
efficiency of men in private business
was never approached in the past.
Theoretically the men chosen to a leg
islature represent the people. If the
people are gaining in education, moral
fty and efficiency. the men whom they
elect to make laws for them should
reflect this Improvement Yet there is
try that legislators were never before so
careless in the framing of laws, so ig-
norant as to the fundamental principles
Of government, SO open to corrupt in
fiuences.
So utterly unrepresentative have leg
islatures in many states become that
they pass bills which are plainly op-
posed to the interests of their constitu-
SACoS VI dAO OAly uCICIlCu NY Luc luOSL
energetic demonstrations on the part
of the people. The new constitution of
New York requires every bill affecting
any city to be submitted to the mayor
of that city after its passage at Albany,
for his approval or disapproval. If he
objects to it's enactment, the legislature
may still pass 1t again, and if the gov
ernor shall sign, it may become law;
but the plain intention of the constitu
tional provision is to furnish official
evidence Of local sentiment on the sub
ject, with the expectation that such ex-
preston will be decisive. Nevertheless,
the last legislature in every case where
a mayor disapproved it's action passed
the bill a second time, often with every
expression of contempt for the opposing
sentiment to which the mayor had CIV
en- voice.
A controversy over street railway
franchises in Chicago recently came to
a head in the Illinois legislature. There
was no doubt whatever as to the feeling
of the people most affected by the pro-
posed legislation. 1t was made plain
in every possible way-through the
press, by public meetings, by statements
sent to the capital. Chicago was as
nearly unanimous as a great city ever
can be in opposing a bill which would
give the present street railway COM
panies a monopoly of transportation
privileges for fifty years. Yet the OBJ
noxious bill was easily pushed through
the senate, and was only halted in the
house by the holding of an impressive
mass meeting in Chicago, at which cool
headed speakers sternly rebuked those
representatives who should be faithless
to the interests of the people.
What is the explanation of all this?
Why do our legislators decline in in
telligence, efficiency and character as
the standard of each of these qualities
rises among the masses? Why has the
relation of the law-maker to the gen
eral public undergone so revolutionary
change that the ancient title repre-
sentative of the people" has become often
an absurd misnomer? Why do we have
to hold public meetings and to organize
committees to visit state capitals while
our legislatures are in session to keep
them from passing unwise, unjust and
corrupt measures, to which the great
majority of the voters are opposed?
The answer to all such questions, pu2-
zling as they seem at first thought, is
really very simple. Legislatures as
they were originally conceived are
breaking down because the representa-
tive character of their members has
changed. They have not ceased to rep
resent somebody. They are as respon-
sible now as they ever were in the past.
But they represent small organized
element of the voters which is under
the control of the machine" and they
are responsible to the boss of that ma
chine. The founders of our system Of
government expected that legislators
they owned their seats. They do rec
ognize that obligation still. The only diff
ference is that large proportion of the
members now secure the nomination
which results in their election from an
Organization of small number of the
voters in one party. Knowing that the
people had nothing to do with their
choice, they feel that they owe alleg
lance only to the machine which gave
them their seats.