The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-18
Excessive Legislation.

1.-TWO weeks from Monday and the
legislature Of nearly every
state in the union will be in
session. In most of the states the meet
ings Of the Legislature are biennial. An
nual sessions are retained in only six
states. New York, New Jersey. Georgia,
Massachusetts,, Rhode Island n South
Carolina. Most OF the states elect their
legislatures in the even-numbered years
and these legislatures meet the follow
ing January. The movement toward
biennial sessions was begun some time
ago partly to save expense and partly
to check the evil of over legislation.
Fifteen of the states place no limit on
the length of the legislative sessions
and in the other thirty states the time
limit varies from thirty days in Mis-
sisippi to 100 days in Missouri. The
most popular limit Of a session appears
to be sixty days.
The trouble with most legislators,
particularly the young and ambitious,
is that they introduce and endeavor to
secure the passage of too many bills.
They falsely assume that a members
worth will be gagged by the humble of
bills to his credit. The fact is that the
new laws really needed are always very
few. Aside from the passage of the
appropriation bills, there is not much
legislation that Montana is crying for.
In calling the attention of the Penn
s~ylvania legislature to this same sub
ject-excessive Iegislation-the Phlla-
delphia Press recalls the advise that
Governor Grout gave the legislature of
Vermont two months ago. He said:
do not feel under any obligations to
make new laws. Your best service Is
liable to be in preventing new enact
ments." 1t is r the Vermont legis-
lature did not heed this advice and
became so interested in placing new
laws on the statute books that it forgot
its historic precedent of adjourning be-
fore Thanksgiving day. but the Press
says the advice is pertinent and appro-
pirate. nevertheless. moi only to the leg
islature of that state but TO the legis-
lature Of every state.
II would be a great gain TO the coun-
try If a reform could be brought. about
III NV IidNNiNt VI tNNtSSlNt fSioidAioh'
1t prevails not in a few states but i'm
every state. Vermont probably suffers
as little from the practice as any state
I'm the union, and II the situation there
demands the attention of the governor
a similar word of warning is demanded
elsewhere. In Massachusetts, the Bos-
ton Journal says. 1.-THE book of acts
aud resolves nxnanHG most fppppf1ahlN
year by year. greatly to the confusion
Of all whose duty demands that they
keep informed about the changing stat
utes of the commonwealth. Long ses-
sions and needless legislation are evils
from which this state has suffered. i'm
common with other states" Attorney
General Griggs has borne testimony of
a similar character. When governor of
New Jersey he declared that he con-
sidered over-legislation one Of the COM
monest and most dangerous features OF
American ~lawmaking. Governor Pin
gree of Michigan has also protested
against this weakness of legislatures.
What Is needed to correct the evil is
an aroused public sentiment which. as
the Philadelphia Press puts 1t, "ambi-
tious legislators will not want to antag-
onize." There can be no better way of
awakening the public to the need OF
reform in this respect than for each Of
the IS or 40 governors. who will send
messages ito State legislatures next
month, to copy the language of Cow
ernor Grout Of Vermont and tell the
legislators that they need not feel under
m obligations to make new laws. and
that the best service they can render
Is in preventing new enactments.