The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-04-03
THE OFFICIAL SILLY SEASON.
In This County It Is Period When State
en Legislatures Are in Session.


Legislatures Are in Session.
New York Mail and Express: In Eng
land the silly season." so-called, is due
about midsummer. It affiicts London and
spares the provinces. The American silly
season comes earlier. Through a gracious
dispensation OF Providence 1t seldom in.
vades Washington. 1t spends its force in
the minor capitals, where the lawmakers
OF the several states are gathered IN sol.
emn session. These are the days when it
is at Its height. It begins about the sec7
ond week In February and lasts through
the third week in March. Although disc
tinctly a state phenomenon, Its features
are substantially identical everywhere. II
can be recognized by an Irresistible ten-
dency to introduce measures wearing the
hall mark OF intended humor.
Why all the illustrations Of freak legis-
lation should be crowded into the second
half of a session is a problem for the
anatomist of melancholy, or perhaps fol.
the political pathologist. There are those
who maintain that the unframed INTEL
lects, possessed by the class of men which
Is becoming prevalent at the state cap
itals, gave way after about SIX weeks OF
unaccustomed celebration. From Februi
airy 10 on, according to this school Of opin3
ion, they are unable to attend to their
duties. The waggish bills they Introduce
thenceforth are symptoms of a double
Authorization that should invite the at
tention Of aienists. They are supposed
to be proper legislation and they are sup
posed to be real humor.
For a variety of reasons which will sug-
gest themselves, and which it would be-
impolite to specify, the southwest offers
the most congenial sou for this species Of
intellectual fungus. But no region Is ex!
empt. The venerable bill taxing bachelors
and spinsters has JUST been introduced at
Albany. Illinois is discussing the pro1
hibition of foot ball. Utah has been asked
to establish an annual 'washday"-its adj
vocates maintain that such an institutions
would put the Mormon commonwealth
lone ahead" of its present practices. Tho
northwestern states are wrestling with
that veteran Of sumptuary legislation, the
bill to do away with Mother Hubbards,1
in their subtler modern guise of tea!
gowns. In the border states the sanitary
aspect of kissing has com under the,
purEiew Of the lawmakers. !
The southwestern states, as usual, are}
pioneers in aggression. They ave usurped
the exclusive control Of international NATL
tiers which the constitution vests in the
federal government. Texas wants to taxi
lords; Missouri wants to brand aud lii
cense them. Texas has another pet meas5
ure. It Is thinking of framing the cotton
handkerchief which Mrs. Roosevelt SEMI
to some Dallas women, n filing it solT
emily away in the archives of the comb
monwealth, as a specimen of sits leadinE5
output'-whether this is baled cotton or
baled humor Is not clearly indicated in thel
text of the resolution.
The proper attitude of mind for the nal
ton to assume toward the merry men of
the legislatures Is not one of ~indignation.l
II it cannot share their outlaws, 1t least
it can express its sympathy and cut tbs,
legislative sessions in two The argument
of a Utah newspaper that the state would.
be better served If it elected jackrabbits
instead Of men to it's councils Is stimu-
lating rather than useful.