The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-08-05

~
Have Practically No Work to Do
Everything Done by Dominant
Clique-Popular Election Of United
States Senators Far Distant.
BY AN EX-SPEAKER OF A STATE
LEGISLATURE.
Copyright, 1905, by Joseph B. Bowles.)
Young men should be barred from
the legislature. No mar under 35
years of age should be eligible to the
Office of state senator or representa-
tive. | would put the minimum age
limit at 35 years because in my expert
ence of several terms as a member l
have seen many young men ruined
physically, morally and financially be-
fore they had rounded up their first
session. More often than l Gaze to
remember precocious lads OF Il to 70
years, gifted with the powers OF ora
tory which gave them the local fame
which lifted them into the general as
sembly have come to the state cap
ital, high-minded, enthusiastic, earn
est youngsters, and three short months
after have gone back to their homes
gamblers, rakes or drunkards.
If the whole truth were known the
country would be shocked at the pro-
portions of the young members of gen
eral assemblies who were ruined by
their first taste of public life.
When a man has arrived at his thir-
ty-ffth milestone his character is
formed. He has reached a certain
stability of good or bad character
which tends to preserve his pOise. The
influences for good or evil would not
affect him as they do-those of young
er and more plastic years.
Yet age does not always keep a man
from going to the dogs by way Of a
state legislature. | have in mind a
venerable farmer who was sent to the
legislature from one of the best coun-
try districts in the state. He was
over 70 years old. He belonged to the
class which is lifted to the pinnacle
whenever a v~ote-hunting spell-binder
seeks the suffrages Of the agricultur-
ists-the sturdy tillers of the soil
the backbone of the nation"
This aged legislator had led a quiet
satisfied, honest life up to the hour
when the devil put it into some ones
head to nominate him for the legisla-
ture. He easily won the election and
when the general assembly met ap-
peared~ In the hall. a true picture OF
the typical prosperous farmer
He was honesty, pressed down and
running over. The most impudent and
brazen boodler SHE'D when he ap'
peared. For a month he went his
peaceful way-a decent, respectable
and iaw-abiding citizen.
One evening he fell in with a con-
vivial member from a metropolitan
district and-so it appeared after
tasted a whisky cocktail for the frs
time in his long life. He and the con
vival city man became chummy ant
it soon reached u ears that the ole
farmer was playing poker and winning
right along. That session lasted foul
and a half months, and before it ad
iourned sine die the old man ha(
gambled away his last acre, had be
come a confirmed drunkard and We
had to make up a purse to pay hi:
board bill and send him to a son IL
another state.
have cited his because it was al
unusual case. But it serves to indicate
in a slight degree the tendency of tn
time-burdened legislator who find
the hours hanging heavy on his hands
The real work in a legislature is dom
by a few men-the great majority o
those elected to make the laws do lit
tie but attend the daily sessions ant
vote. The sessions consume but a few
hours each lay. The rest of the tim
is leisure for most of the members.
To many this vacation-like expert
ence. for a time, is a pleasant novelty
But soon the novelty wears off, tn
spare hours became irksome, the day
drag and then the young member be
gins hunting up card games and Othe
amusements. Before the session i
many QdyS Olu LnC AiCL1DOAo 0AfAo
themselves up into groups-birds o
a feather get together and often tn
young member gets onto the wroni
twig.
| am not seeking to moralize. | ar
simply putting an ordinary fact upo.
paper. a fact well known to and tn
subject of frequent comment by me
who have served two or more terms i
a legislature, and these old stager
agree that one of the surest ways C
starting a young man on the tobogga
slide down to physical and moral rui
is to send him to the legislature.
Now it Is a curious fact hat thi
deplorable condition of affairs is du
almost altogether to the polite;
methods which make it possible for
very few men to run" a Legislature
These few men have no leisure tim
from the moment the session open
until the adjournment. They do a
the work and for their own selfs
purposes want to do all the worl
Thus apparent devotion to the publ
- - Isos+oror4ol For Av n,