The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-10-07
lEaIsLArlVE REFORM.
Some Pertinent Suggestions from a
Former Member.

'"' ""'u' ~ iN' '"N''
hr""hN"o"' lcNhs' Vrt"por d'--Ihefe VIII
perhaps never be more opportunc time
tbnp fine prc.ont fla ,Yu T., ha attention
H.
Vi 'u' P'"p'c VIC ueceesl'F ol reform lA
the legislative body Of Texas. In two
years ana eight movtt4 We hnyp had 1--we
.,...i., 40 ., i-,.t.. 49,, 49,. ~ ~,
''S''0ua "L we ''s'N'''"le 'uu TWO 'i 'H'ul
quite lengthy ones ana this has occurred
m peaceful times and nothing Of unusual
lo,ly,,p.,, rr,,,,tr.1 ,1,, nt.s rha
t''''"' p" "' - '"'''
people nave heen aStouiShed at the almost
daily breaking Of uuurums In the house and
M tbe frn.l-s and ,,.i,d i,r,,,io, ~ tb,t
"'"' '"'"'"'"- va ''''
n""A !" me observer II resembles more
the acts of a turbulent convention than a
deliberate body Of lawmakers. The senate
went uu smoothly enough, hut Of necessity
a large part OF It's tine was spent In idle
ness while waiting on the house. These
long and extra sessions have caused great
loss 10 the people and / think thnT NIL
reasonable men believe that all the work
could have been done Ia the two regular
sessions With considerable time to spare
for recreation The cause of the trouble
Is that the body IS very much too large
for cool dellberatlon, and should he reduced
10 about one-tbird Of its nresent nnnhpr
To make ii effective.
Judge T. NJ 'rhurmond Of Globe. Ariz.,
was a member Of the Kentucky legislature
he was 4 member OF the council tsenatcl OF
Arzopa In talking to me on this subject
he said. Large bodies arc nnwieldv and
will not act with tho cool dclihrration of
smaller bodies--that the Kentucky house
was too large for deliberation that when
the amendments to an important bill was
over and the bill passed about onc.thhd
of "A had the inurcss If sfotosnnnshtn ana
the balance the Impress of a ntiseeIlapeous
crowd Of nonthiukers who, Ia fact. hld
passed the bill and that this mixture OF
good aud crude Legislation caused the state
and the ntigant, to suffer.
That Arizona had twelve councilmen aud
twenty four reprpseutativcS and Ind the
most consistent code of any State or Ter.
ritory In the Union. aud that lis sessions
were alynvs over In thirty "a Afty d1ys'i
At The second session Of the Fourtecnth
legislature i'm 1879 this writer Introduced
and, with The assistance Of Hon W &.
In the house a resolution 10 submit 10 the
peonIe n constitutional amendment li,nif-
Ing the number OF senatorial districts in
Texas 10 twenty. one nrh thnt each soma
toriaI district sGonid elert onp sen9ror and
three representatives. This resolution.
think. would have passpd both houses b,lt
the demand for constitutional convention
WINS so great that II passed and ali other
resolutions went over
The cogcnt reasons for each senatorial
district tu elect one senator aud three rem.
rescutgtiyos is this; We get men nominat.
ed and elected whose ability Is known at
least cocyteuslve. with the district and
each one feels that he prlmarlv represcnt.
large part of inc Stale and not n counly
sufficient to broaden his views fnto mat
of a statesman whose dutv it is,to lcrisIute
far an tho people This takes him ont of
the influence of local notifies and nlaccs
him ON the birh plaue where hp can yyor
for the material prospcrlty of the Stnfe
Every mcmnrr should have a salary mr.
per diem commensurate TO the Increased
bcrs TbIs Nth Got 'u men l' Who Nth u w W
aud avoid quorum brcnkIn.,
What is a legisiator? is he not the ser.