Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-04-04
Legislation.

One of the great evils of this country
is surfeit of legislation. There are
forty-five states in the Union, each one
having a legislative assembly, and then
we have another Legislative body to pass
laws for the people as nation, all en-
gagged in the manufacture of laws.
Every man who is sent to Congress
or a state legislature is ambitious to be
the father of law or two, and will
jump at the faintest suggestion that
may give him an excuse to frame bill.
If he fail to secure the passage of a bill
with his name attached to it large
percentage of his superficial constituents
will sneer at him and ask;
What laws did he originate? What
good has he accomplished"
The man who goes to a legislative
body with an axe, and devotes his
energy and talents to the destruction of
the squirming mass of snakey bills that
are invariably proposed, is vastly more
useful than the man who succeeds in
cumbering the statute books with lot
of superfuous acts of assembly.
The trouble seems to be that our
statesmen do not study popular SEN
timent. Only when law is demanded
when its enactment is required to
correct some real evil, should it ever be
proposed.
We get plenty of laws that we do not
want, and very few that we do want
This is SO clearly true that the Pennsyl-
vania legislature is the biennial terror
of the people Bills are introduced
with no other purpose than to threaten
some interest with view to compel
ling it to put up a lot of money to have
the bill defeated. The liquor dealers,
railroad companies, school book pub
fishing houses, insurance companies.
and water and electric light companies
are the special prey of these legislative
sharks. And even when bill is intro
duced in good faith affecting any of
these interests it is almost impossible
to pass it, because the shark element
will help to defeat it for price. This
evil is confined to no party. 1t is a
matter of individual character. The
surprising thing is that any coDstitu-
ency would elect such hyenas to the
legislature. But they do, and in some
cases return them year after year.
Public sentiment should always con-
troll legislation. But it don't. There
has long been a popular demand for a
constitutional amendment making
Il 1xyf hn
popular vote But the Congress meets
and adjourns regularly Without 5uthor
izing the submission of such an
amendment to the people of the several
States
There is also genuine public senti-
ment in favor of a new legislative ap-
pOrtiOnment In accordance with the
mandate Of the Constitution, but in
stead the Legislature passes a few
hundred bills that we did not ask for,
and never would ask for.
Genuine public sentiment is the com
mon opinion of the people. Petitions
do not always represent the real desires
of the people, because those who sign
them are often persuaded to do so by
influences that have nothing to do with
the merits of the case. Many of them
sign because it is easier to sign than to
refuse Elections do not always re-
present the genuine judgment of the
people A fictitious sentiment is Gre
ated by speechmkers and writers and
by personal appeals to the voters. The
real sentiments of people are only to
be obtained when they have not been
wrought upon in any way, and when
they are uninflueneed by selfish or
sympathetic considerations. To dis
tlnguish between sentiment that is
genuine and permanent. and grow
ing. and sentiment that is artificial,
transient and declining, il one of the
most necessary arts of craftsmanship
To pass laws that are not supported
by real and lasting public sentiment
in which large majority of the people
concur, is either demagogy or tyranny,
or boths
Legislative bodies should pass no
laws that the people do not ask for. and
they should pass laws that the people
do ask for.-Punx'y Spirit.