Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-01-06
"GREAT oBJEcToRp OBJECTS.
He Does Not Approve Of Over SO of
the 1874 New Laws.

Editor of The Reformer:
The new laws have, at last, come
out. How do you like them? For
my part / have no more relish for
them now than l had during their
passage Not over so of the 194 pub
lie acts should have been passed, and
can say this with good grace. as
did what l could to block their pas
sage, and now take pride in having
acquired the name of the great OBJ
Jector, Were | to go through that
session again, Il should hope to gain
the title of the great, great objec-
tor"
Let the public read these laws-the
greatest bundle and tumble that any
legislature ever passed, haggling up
an previous laws and misappropriat-
ing at least cool hundred thousand
ldollars-and say whether | was right
or wrong in insisting upon their be-
ing read, at least, before their pas
sage. Often | was laughed at, in a
good natured way, for standing up
alone and insisting upon fuller con-
slderatlon, or opposing passage entire
| ly Where does the laugh come in
now? once l passed the cigars
around 10. the whole house, because
by a neatly contrived plan and a
snap action, the salary of a favor
u.
should get the cigars now?
Let us candidly examine the cause
for this over-aegislation, and, if pos
sible. suggest remedy
The members of the legislature, as
a mass, were good and intelligent
lot of men. They meant well and
tried to do their duty. But the null
tiplication of bills, once nine at a time
by a single individual, finally dis
couraged them, and towards the end
they simply threw up their hands in
disgust and let the schemers have
their way.
The trouble lay in the few-a score
or so-who took it upon themselves to
lead Off. They were not, as a rule,
conscientious, but were governed,
largely. by selfish motives. A bill had
but 4ittle chance upon its own merits.
1t must be fostered, fathered, doc
tored, and fed by pap. The most wor-
thy measures of all were rejected
simply because those back of them
would not stoop to the plan of buy
and sell. Those upon whom the mass
relied often played false and simply
worked for their own ends They
had some favorite bill of their own
Or some office in view, before which
all else must yield. / was a witness
Of acts by the chairmen of the very
highest committees that caused me,
at least, to lose much Of
my faith in humanity
As remedies l would suggest: AL
ow no office to be created by leg
stature and filed by one of its mem
,ers; suspend no rules that act for
ull deliberation of measures; allow
10 bill to come in after the allotted
ime, and no committee bills during the
asst week; have all bills before they
re introduced go before an advis-
ry committee, who would often point
ut such defects as would lead the
ntroducer to withdraw; have all res
lutions and important amendments
axe their regular course with bills,
S thus measures and appropriations
re passed without any chance for
The essential element for all legis-
alton is deliberation-without it we
re sure of raw, indigestible mush,
nd opportunity for trickery and de-
option. l have studied the matter
1 its every point and / firmly be-
eve that it would be best for the in
arests of the state if we went back
} annual sessions, thus ensuring a
trge percentage of experienced
lembers, and as dead sure pre-
aution. have no act take effect until
has been confirmed by the legisla-
Ire succeeding its first passage. The
ress and the people would then have
chance to get hold of matters. 1t
perfectly safe to say that a major
y of the present laws would fail to
ass this ordeal. Then a s25,000 re-
sion would not be needed every
acade. We cannot be too careful
ow we tamper with, or pass laws.
he higher we advance in true civil
alton, the simpler and less complex
i'll be our laws. Charles Wagner
ould make a good legislator.
M. ]. Hapgood.
Peru, VT, Jan. g 1905