The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-10-25
NO LIMIT TO NEW LAWS
Foolish Measures That Have Occupied
Legislators Attention.

In the year 1890 there were enacted
In the United States by the legislatures
Of the several States the enormous to-
tai OF 14.159 brand-new laws. Two
years later similar amount Of new
legislation was added to the statute
books. This is exclusive of Congress
sional and municipal legislation.
Things have come to such pass that
while Ignorance oe the law excused
no one" it is absolutely impossible
for any huns being to keep track OF
the laws which affect him personally.
1t is probably a fair statement that
every man, woman and child igno.
rantly breaks at least one law, ma
tional, State or municipal, every day
of his life.
One cause Of the prevailing law
lessness, 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 Sem
ators and members of the Legislature
seem to feel that their reputation de-
pends on the number Of laws they
succeed in forcing to passage. This
feeling often leads to the introduction
Of most absurd and ridiculous bills.
and tends to make all the State legis-
latures and their members appear ridi-
culous in the eyes Of the public. And
the public is not likely to greatly re-
spect the proceedings Of legislators
whom it looks at with contempt and
laughter.
Two years ago, for instance, the
Legislature Of Michigan graVely dis
cussed and spent much time and pub
lie money in the consideration of q
bill to prohibit the printing of hotel
menus in any language other than
English; the statesmen Of Kansas de-
bated q bill to make the wearing OF
corsets or bloomers an offense against
the commonwealth; the Legislature Of
Indiana has before it bill to establish
a new mathematical truth-the squar-
ing of the circle; up in Minnesota it
was proposed that red light should
be kept burning before every saloon.
with the word Danger" emblazoned
upon it; Pennsylvania proposed to
force every man to pay for his. own
drinks, and 1t was actually proposed
in the Senate of another State that
every druggist offering medicines for
sale should have posted in his store
an affidavit setting forth that he had
personally taken at least one bottle
Of each remedy 50 offered for sale and
that he had experienced no deleterious
effects therefrom.
But the most amusing case of all Is
that which comes from the Legislature
Of a far Western State. It is particu.
larly amusing because o. the ingenu'
Gus confession of a member Of the
lower house, who was responsible for
1t.
twas anxious to show my industry
by introducing some bi',s," he said,
"but everything I could think Of had
already ben covered by somebody else.
Two or three times other members
just beat me Il introducing bills cover.
ing certain points, and I was feeling
pretty discouraged. I couldn't find
anything to make -aw about. One
day I was walking along the street
when saw a stuffed lamb in the win.
dow of furrier. Now, it struck me
that it might have bad influence on
the young to see stuffed animals In
show windows, so I hurried back to
my boarding house and prepared O
bill prohibiting under penalty Of a
large fine, the use Of stuffed animals
for advertising purposes. I tell you a
fellow can't bear down too hard ON
the morals of the young
Some laws !ardly less farcical have
been actually passed and spread upon
the statute .books.-Chicago Tribune.