The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-06
No LIMIT TO NEW LAWS
Foolish Measures That Have
Occupied Legislators
ACAUSE OFLAWLESSNESS
New Members Think Their Regulations
Depend on the Number of New
Laws They Can Force to Pass sage
Home Ridiculous, Others Absurd
"A Cause of Lawlessness.

In the year 1899 there were enacted
in the United States by the legisla-
lures OF the several states the enor-
nous total of If, 1J9 brand.new laws.
Two years later u similar amount of
new legislation was added to the stat
ute books. This is exclusive of Con-
gressional and municipal legislation.
Things have come to such a pass that
while Ignorance of the law excuses
no one" it is absolutely impossible
for any human being to keep track OF
the laws which affect him personally.
1t is probably fair statement that
every man, woman and child ignorant
ly breaks at least one law, national,
State or municipal, every day of his
life.
One cause of the prevailing lawless-
ness, then, Is the fact that we have
too many laws, and that these laws
are increased in number with every
year.
Especially are the State legislatures
prone TO unnecessarily add to the size
of the statute books. New State SEN
ators and members of the Legisla-
lures seem to feel that their reputa-
tion depends on the number of laws
they succeed in forcing to passage.
This feeling often leads to the intro
ductiOn of most absurd and ridicu-
lous bills, and tends to make all the
State legislatures and their members
appear ridiculous in the eyes Of the
public. And the public is not likely
to greatly respect the proceedings of
legislators whom it looks at with
contempt and laughter.
Two years ago, for instance, the
Legislature of Michigan grayely dis
cussed and spent much time and pub
lie money in the consideration of
bill to prohibit the printing of hotel
menus in any language other than
English the statesmen of Kansas de-
bated bill to make the wearing of
corsets or boomers an omense against
the commemorative the Legislature
of Indiana had before it bill to cs-
tablish a new mathematical truth
the squaring Of the circle; up in Min
ncsota it was proposed that red
light should be kept burning before
every saloon, with the word Dan
ger!' emblazoned upon it; Pennsyl.
vania proposed to force every man %
pay for his own drinks, and it was
actually proposed in the Senate of an
other State that every druggist offer
ing patent medicines for sale should
have posted in his store an affidavit
setting forth that he had personally
taken at least one bottle of each rem
edy so offered for sale and that he
had experienced no dcleteriouS effects
therefrom.
But the most amusing case Of all is
that which comes from the Legis,a-
ture of far Western State. 1t is par
ucularly amusing because of the in
genuous confession of the member of
the lower house who was responsible
for it.
81 was anxious to show my indus
try by introducing some bills he
said, but everything could
think Of had already been
covered by somebody else. Two or
three times other members just beat
me in introducing bills covering GER
tain points, and l was feeling pretty
discouraged. l couldn't find anything
to make law about One day | was
walking along the street when | saw
stuffed lamb in the window of fur
rier. Now, it struck me that it might
have a bad influence on the young to
see stuffed animals I'm show windows,
80 l hurried back to my boarding
house and prepared bill prohibiting
under penalty of large fine, the use
OF stuffed animals for advertising pur-
poses. | tell you fellow can't bear
down too hard on the morals of the
young"
Some laws hardly less farcical have
been actually passed and spread upon
the statute books.-Chicago Tribune.