La Junta tribune., 1899-04-15
oreso counrrs REPRESENTATIVE.
a Record Of His Experience Among the
phiiistines Of the Legislature.

of state iii choosing their repre-
sentative to make their laws cast
about TO select out of their own
number their smartest, wisest and
most honorable men. That these
smart, wise and honorable men as
semble at the capital, and, govern
ed by high sense OF their grave
responsibility and sacred trust, are
directed only by patriotic and hon
est motives. They deliberate upon
ways and means and those meas
ures that will best promote the
/ highest interests and welfare OF the
state and its citizens, and enact
| into laws only such measures as
will be OF benefit to the people
who sent them. This is the ideal.
Were this ideal realized we would
have a perfect or nearly perfect
government. The actual practice
ID SOUlt"ildl
Politics is the bane OF the state,
the enemy OF good government,
and the curse of society. By poll
tics mean practical politics.
From the caucus to the legislative
assembly, from the booth to the
bench, mans weakness and selfish
ness must be reckoned with, and
we must learn that man the citizen
! is the worst foe OF man the state
the commonweal.
The Twelfth General Assembly
was composed OF fair representa-
/ ton OF the citizens OF the state OF
Colorado-neither better nor worse,
neither wiser nor more patriotic;
nor less OF either One thing to
its advantage it contained but very
few politicians. The large major
ity of its membership were new,
in fact green" and like Sextus
Roscius, uncontaminated by civic
culture, and the tricks and sagacity
of the politician, more technically
termed wire pulling. Neither was
il worse than similar bodies in
other states, and IN many respects
better than many OF them. The
impression that the public has re.
ceived from the newspapers OF the
Twelfth General Assembly is as
bad as it possibly could entertain
of any collection OF men and wo-
men-not excepting those unior-
tunates whose rights have been
curtailed and liberty restrained by
laws made by some other
similar body. The newspapers,
however, have exaggerated and as
often lied At the same time
confess and assure the public that
the truth itself was TOO bad 10 be
told
The new legislator who enters
The assembly with high ideal and
with an honest purpose will learn
"a thing or two" before he answers
many roll calls. He Will learn
a few things unless his head is too
hard for stone wall have had
considerable experience in politics,
in fact, peeped over the guards OF
the immortal Seventh, but | knew
something when the hands of the
Legislative clock pointed to XII,
April 3, 1899, that never knew
before--indeed, had never dreamed
of Had known on January 9TH
what knew on April sd, could
have accomplished more and at
much less wear and tear OF mind
and conscience. Not that would
have changed single vote or a
single purpose for | would stand
by my best judgment and the high
est dictates OF my conscience even
if stood alone, but know more
of the methods, the deceit and
the treachery, and could more
easily defeat the efforts of these
schemers.
The faults OF the Twelfth Gen
eral Assembly were too much CAB
in the senate. and small power
full ring OF politicians in the house
The rinp wac ,,enayaied hx ravfaio