The record-union., 1898-12-17
FACTS ABOUT LEGISLATIVE RE
PORTING.


the Senator made a manly and logical
plea for fair treatment of legislators
In their session work by the press of
the State. He protested that general
announcement of legislators is unman-
ly and silly, and has become a sort Of
fad or fashion among a certain class
OF newspapers, while very little real,
worthy and truthful criticism of men
and measures is INDUCED in.
In fact, Senator Smiths complaint
amounts to this, that a large portion
of the State press, indeed the very
much larger portion, fails to correctly
inform the people of what really goes
on in the way of legislation. His pro-
test is an appeal for fair treatment of
legislators by the State press and
especially that when newspapers at
tempt to report upon measures they
shall do so with some fullness, and
with intelligence, or not at all. That
is about the sum of his complaint,
with a side protest to the effect that
not all legislators are bad men be-
cause some may be venal
Upon this signed article by the Kern
Senator, who has already served four
years in the Senate and is now re-
turned by his people, the press gener-
ally is commenting, mainly with in
ability to deny his charges. The vi
salia Delta" however, defends, say
ing that the press is not wholly to
blame, since they have had no means
for knowing for several years of what
is being done in either house, 1t adds
that a measure is introduced, and
thereafter, unless it is a very important
bill, is referred to by title only and
by number in the metropolitan papers.
until it becomes a law, and then it is
too late for criticism. Several years
ago the Sacramento papers published
full reports of legislative proceedings
of both houses, including the speeches,
and gave reviews of all bills of general
interest, and at that time these meas
ures were very generally discussed -
says the Delta It adds: The re-
ports in the San Francisco and Sac
ramento dailies at present do not pro-
fess to be full or fair from being such"
The Record Union" speaking for it
self only, is willing to treat the last
words of the quotation as a typo
graphical blunder, and concede that it
was intended to say: DO not profess
to be full, and are far from being
such," the compositor apparently hav-
ing bungled in his work
Senator Smith will inform the
Delta" undoubtedly, since he knows
the statement to be true, that the
Record Union" while in recent years
1t does not publish verbatim reports
of legislative proceedings. does pub
lish very full and perfectly fair re-
ports, and has always done. so, the
fullest and fairest given by any paper
in the State. Some twenty y-five years
ago it did publish verbatim reports.
These became so voluninous, as the
business Of the State enlarged, as to
be practically worthless, because no
man could command the time to read
them. They frequently ran from
twenty to forty columns of solid non
pareil daily. Moreover, the speeches
delivered were SO numerous, and so
many of them inconsequential, that
the full report of them obstructed hon
est attempts to ascertain the line of
argument or the fate Of a measure
Whereas from 200 to 500 bills used
to compass the work of legislative
session, now with the code system and
the full reprints of a measure amend
ed, from 1,200 to 1000 bills, resolu-
tions and orders are upon the files at
every session of the Legislature AT
no time in the history Of legislation in
this State has any paper ever printed
in full all the bills as introduced. 1t
would have been folly to have done
So But many years ago the Record
Union" adopted the plan Of giving the
aim, the purpose, and probable effect
of every measure introduced, in brief
synoptical form, and where the sub
ject justified it, in considerable full
ness. The reports of the proceedings
of the Legislature in the Record
OAIOA etI6 IO lOuSSI NGIDdllH, SluCG
that system was found to be obstruc-
tive and not compensating, and pre-
vaifs nowhere now in the United
States
But the Record Union. legislative
reports are what is infinitely better
they are true, accurate in synopsis, re-
fleet every legislative activity and pre-
sent every step taken in the history of
every bill or resolution handled by
either house More than that, they give
the pith and meat of every important
expression in debate upon bills and
measures, and thus the Record
Unions" daily reports have come to
be accepted as implicitly trustworthy
absolutely fair, perfectly impartial and
to be the best, nay the only true re-
Election of proceedings in the two
houses.
No other journal in the state at
fempts any such full and detailed leg
fslatiye reports as the Record
Union gives of each sessions pro-
ceedings. No other journal pretends to
nresent the meat and pith Of every