The weekly Thibodaux sentinel. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 1898-1905, 1902-05-24
The State Legislature.

The Legislature of the State of
Louisiana which convened this week in
Baton Rouge, will he in session
for two months. The members of
this body who are addicted to the
talk habit o. who make it q practice
to introduce bills by tie cart loads
are doubtless training hard to sustain
their reputation. 1t IL really unfor.
tunate that there should lie 80 many
wind TANNERS and bill hatchers 10
the legislative brides of the different
States, and it is 10 he hoped that
some ingenious mind will blaze away
for wedding out or excluding from
the legislative halls this class of law
makers, who arc OF no value or ser.
vice h their State and brand themsel.
yes as n0t0riety seekers. The people
have enough laws to govern them
and, in fact, it has almost come to
pass that the most Law abiding citil
zens ia - community find it difficult
matter not to run afOul OF some sta
tute. The law making power should
conflne Itself to the enactment of such
laws Us ATE necessary and useful, and
they should be framed in plain Ian
guage. with view Of making their
meaning aud intent clear and unmis.
taxable.
The tendency in constructing laws
appears to be to couch them 10 such
terms as tn convey double meaning,
and the result Is that the power Of
making laws is shifted to the judges
Of our courts. This may not be done
knowingly or purposely, but the fact
remains that il legislators were more
careful and painslaklug In drafting
laws no two interpretations would be
possible, except possibly iu rare 10
stances, and our Jurists would not be
working overtime, while lawyers
would not appear 50 painfully ignO.
rant and the citizen would know his
rights and those Of his neighbors.
Give US plain laws aud as few Of
them as possible, and we will have
peace and c0ntentmcnt.
Some of our State law makers
labor under the impression that
their zeal and efficiency will be meas.
ured by the number of bills they Will
have introduced during during their
term of Office. This, however, is a
mistaken idea. A legislator does not
win fame BY the introduction of d, .
merous and senseless measures, bu,
is more likely to make his mark BY
employing his energy in an effort to
kill foil bills and prevent iniquitous
enactments. There is always q good
field for this character Of Legislative
work and members Of the General
Assembly of tie State of Louisiana
who want to perform their duty fully
and creditably are usually afforded
the opportunity by their over Jealous
aud irrcpresslbIe colleagues, who are
made stoop shouIdered by the count
less bills which they carry and try to
unload on the unsuspecting and long
suffering citizens Of this great com
monwealth.
We have q surfeit of laws. There
are 80 many of them that no one car
tell whether or not bis right to live
cannot be successfully contested by
some enemy and bis pilgrimage on
this mundane sphere brought to an
abrupt close. The law makers can
not be too strongly impressed witt
the importance and wisdom of cur
bing their desire to pass laws on the
Wholesale plan. The ersonal liberty
and rights Of citizens of free coun
try are fast being encrOached upor
by the law making power and . hall
must be called. The Legislator who
attempts To limit his dear people tC
two meals per diem will find Satan.
domains . cool place iu comparison
to his present habitatlon.
Now, gentlemen Of the Legislature
look wise and act sensibly. W,
have a right 10 expect that Of you
IL you have not enacted u law whicl
denies Us ttat right.-St. Bernart
Voice.