The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1901-11-21
INDIANA'S LEGISLATURE
BY ONE WHO WAS THERE.

If much that is bad has crept into
our American system of representative
legislatures, SO has much that is good
been retained, and whether the good
or the bad predominates is largely a
matter of time and place. The Opin-
ions even of those most advantageous
" situated to know the facts will vary
according as such observers are In
clined to take pessimiStic or optimis-
tic views of what they see, or imagine
they see, going on about them.
Whatever is said or writted about The
practical workings of any political in
StitutiOn must always be taken for
what it is worth and with consider
able grain of allowance, for it never
expresses the full truth and is more
or less consciously colOred by the nat
ural bent and acquired prejudice of
the speaker or writer.
The general public obtains its iu-
formation and forms its opinions al
most exclusively from newspaper
reporters. student reformerS and
common rumor, and while the
result is seldom far from right
in particular instances it cannot
be said that any individual has an
exact comprehension of the whole
truth. Reporters have otake chances
on what they can get from the sources
of information that may be open to
them; they must do their work hastily
and are peculiarly liable to be misled
for sinister or other purposes. The
reformer hardly ever knows what he
is talking about and the information
he acquires in the seclusion-- of his
study is never verified by any adequate
experience. The practical politician,
who alone knows the facts, never writes
about them except with large reserya-
lions and any testimony he may give
must be weighed and ScrutiniZeo with
great care. 1t is quite likely to be
true that the composite picture of a
public man as it is more or less haZily
formed by common rumOr is the most
reliable guide to voters and the fact
that they do rely upon such charac-
terization may account for their paul
city of mistakes.
4 great share of the laws affecting
directly and indirectly the interests of
the citizens of Indiana are passed at
indianapolis in the biennial sessions
of the general assembly. In theory
this body is constituted of representa-
tive men from the different Legislative
districts. The state is apportioned
for senators and representatives into
districts sufficiently small to enable
the voters to have personal knowledge
of the legislative candidates and the
theory is that the electors of each d.
vision will be led by their own impor-
tant interests to send to the general
assembly only men in whose integrity
and ability they repose implicit con-
fidence. The Indiana constitution is
based upon the presumption that a
great majority of the citizens Of the
commonwealth will be impelled by
self-interest to vote honestly and i'm
partially for men who are honest and
competent. In practice there is often
a lamentable departure from this
principle, and not alone in Indiana.
A system of political manipulation has
grown up outside of the constitution
and by its operation we occasionally
see the worst man in community
chosen, rather than the one best
adapted to represent the people.
Indeed, it seldom happens that the
best qualified men are elected to the
general assembly or to any office of
public trust. The people permit
themselves to be cheated by a
band of INSCRIPTIONS .tricksters
who make politics trade and by their
chicanery have given the very word
politics hateful meaning.
Many an honest HooSier entertains
serious doubt whether the legislature