The record-union., 1897-03-09
FREAK LEGISLATION.

When Herbert Spencer treated of the
''Sins of Legislators" he was not mod
est in condemning the disposition to
correct all human error by Act of Leg
islature, the vice of attempting to regu-
late all human activity by bill. Had
he waited until this day before record
ing his thought he might have had a
host of examples TO cite in illustration
of his text
Some writer who has not the fear of
legislative frowns before him has de-
nominated the legislation to which we
refer as freak legislation" Of this
order the last few months have given
the country an unusual number, and
our own Legislature has not failed to
contribute its share.
The Chicago Tribune" has been at
pains to collect some of these .curios,
and they constitute an interesting list.
In Missouri we find a bill introduced to
punish railway employees for flirting
with women passengers; but no penalty
appears to attach to the women, which
suggests an obscured vision of justice
in Missouri In the same Legislature
it is proposed that all bulls shall be
dehorned at the age of two years, that
uniucky AJissourians may not be tossed
by Taurus. In the same State it is
learned that a bill to- prohibit railway
companies from laying wooden rails
and tying them with a string is, even
If joke. passing through the regular
course.
Kansas takes the palm and long has
for freak legislation. In the present
Legislature over fifty measures of that
sort have been introduced, among
which are anti-lift your skirts bills;
bills TO prevent women wearing boots
bills forbidding the wearing Of corsets.
and bin forbidding the wearing of
'bloomers. A bill that proposed to pro-
hibit the lending Of money except un-
der heavy license tax was withdrawn
because the mere threat drove half the
loose capital out Of the State, that of all
Others needs it most. In the same COM
munity it was gravely proposed in the
Legislature to punish men who look
back as they pass women, and even the
chimney sweeps asked for a measure
TO protect their craft by regulating ad-
mission to it.
In Indiana a bill has been pending
to prevent women from gushing over
condemned prisoners. But by singular
oversight the mover of the measure
failed TO order the custodians of pris-
oners to refuse women visitors admis-
sion to the cells and the corridors OF
prisons, which would seem to be the
simplest way of reaching the evil, as
suming that such a thing can be
reached by Act of Legislature rather
than by the discretion of Sherifs and
Jail keepers. a bin to prevent the play
ing of baseball on Sunday made an
early appearance in the Hoosier Legis-
lature, as did another prohibiting foot
ball on any day.
But these bills fade in presence of
the Indiana proposition that all hotels
shall be required to print their bills OF
fare in the English tongue; and before
another requiring all landlords to mark
in full on the hotel register the account
Of the boarder or guest instead OF us
ing those single initials indicating
the arrival and departure of the Gus
toner. A Posey county statesman
capped the climax by introducing a bin
defining legal method of squaring the
circle and this was done in all sober
ness. The fun of the thing is that
this bill has actually passed the two
houses.
In Minnesota a bill had favorable
consideration requiring all saloons TO
keep suspended in front of their doors
IA lantern with red glass sides on which
shall be painted the word Danger.
the lanterns to be illuminated at night.
IF the bill was intended as a joke it was
seriously received by a large portion of
the Legislature. However. the bill