The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-03-12
ABUSE OF LEGISLATURES.

A good deal of criticism OF harsh
character is INDUCED in by some Of our
exchanges of the Legislature, because
of certain alleged defects of intelli-
gence, lack of legislative skill, etc.. not
to say word about charges that the
body is one of grand rascals. etc. But
all these statements are trite, and do
no credit to those who indulge in them,
from the fact that they have been said
of every and all Legislatures. 1t is
a common thing to rasp Legislatures
and speak Of them as anything but
bodies deserving respect. But 1t is
amusing to notice in about all our in
paragraphs given to their own mem
bers when they take Saturday runs
home
To judge from these every district is
represented admirably, and every mem
Der in his district is held in high es-
tenn for ability, honesty and skill in
legislation It is impossible for these
men in their idividual capacities to be
such capable and trustworthy persons,
and in their collective capacity to be
such stupids. incompetents and ras-
Gals. One Judgment or the other is
assuredly wrong. Moreover, these
gentlemen of Senate and Assembly
come from the people; they bear the
credentials of the American system of
democracy; they are accredited with
the Endorsement of a majority of the
voters in their respective communities
However, If all that be waived on
the fancy that even a good man be-
comes a bad one after a weeks SER
vice as a legislator, it remains that they
are one BY one in their several commu-
mites spoken of with praise and gen.
eral commentator with but here and
there an exception. The meat of the
whole matter is this that 1t has be-
come common and Is assumed to be
witty and courageous to lampoon the
Legislature as a whole, and express
surprise that 1t keeps out OF prison;
that It Is not blasted Of heaven; is not
smitten by the frown of the people. and
so on through a worn old chapter.
The thoughtful will conclude that
these generalizations are weak because
they have no personal application, and
are INDUCED in simply because they
have been spoken and written of every
Legislature. 1t is suggested that the
style of criticism referred to is not of
the order that encourages strong, tall
ented and clean men to aspire to the
legislative Office. That it has the ten
denoy to prevent the most capable men
presenting for these important stations.
that men shrink from what they know
will be said by their local press of the
body in which they are asked to sit
and labor for the public good
Far be 1t from US to champion any
wrong doing, incompetency and weak
ness in the Legislature, but we feel
that such of our contemporaries as in
dulge every two years in the tradi-
tional. old and worn sneers at the Leg
islature lessen their influence by that
much, and render specific and direct
criticism weak when the time comes
in which it should be soberly and Sc
verely applied.
One of the most profound and valu-
able of the essays which have come
into modern literature from science is
that by Herbert Spencer upon the "Sins
of Legislators" 1t is true xrenchant
and analytical, but it suggests no such
methods of criticism as characterize
most of the generalizations INDUCED in
by the press, sweeping, impersonal and
indefinite. 1t presents no thought war
ranting the conclusion that it is forci-
BILE, wise or defensible to speak of leg
islative bodies in terms of opprobrium
and abuse. On the contrary the distin-
guished scientist perceived in his study
of the matter that all such assault is
valueless, that as the bodies which
democratic forms erect proceed from
the people, they are to be taken as rep
resentative of the communities which
accredit them, and that where the door
of criticism opens 1T should be upon
specific weaknesses, to which correc-