Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1906-09-01
AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION
HAS ASSEMBLED IN ST. PAUL
President George r. Peck Delivers High
w AppIauded Address to Leading
Lawyers of Country.

LEGISLATION, not anY unrmty ia our i
system uf government but tho tre-
mondous activity of the human mind
ga the direction OF science. Il would,
perhaps, bo more accurate 20 say that
the great Increase Of wealth, and iis
accumulation I'm colossal fortunes are
themselves the result and the inovit-
able result Of the "a ioniihc tendencies
which have been SO active I'M the past
half century. The Inventive cnofEy
which has dominated thought must bo
counted most 20 blame for present
conditions 81 indeed anyone "a 20
blame The great intellectual deVcl-
opment of the ninoteonih century
the greatest IN al history, took the
direction OF scientific research, ana
the result has been transformation
of The modes of living. oi the aims and
aspirations OF men, aud, necessarily.
og the scope and purpose OF legislation
James G.. carter declared that the
American people are afflicted with a
passion for legislation amounting 90
almost a disease it Is undcniahly
I true that the average mind believes
IN the possibility Of romedying every
| evil ny statutory enactment That this
I idea h false aud dangerous one, all
human experience atptatq. Il ia a sig,
nidcant, perhaps ominous, evidence OF
the changes Ia The popular idea OF the
legislative function. 20 note tho vastly
Increased range ci subjects Witn I
which our efatutae now deal. They /
are becoming iaracly--toO largely, Il
ihlnk-rmeroly administrative and reg
luiafiyc: establishing rules for she d.
rection and control OF business artly-
liuyts. drawing lines Of separation be
tween that which ig. and always was
permissible. and that whlcn snail no
longer be- 40; establishing boards and
commissions; and providing for q
scrutiny. which, more and more, prizes
) into affairs thal once were supposed
10 pertain exclusively 90 the indlvid'
/ lual primarily Interested. All this %
! more OF less irritating. FOR the shrink
! lnFo ga individual liberty Involved IN
,It hurts But q ~ folly 10 suppose
, that modern liio cen go on with iia
ever increasing completely and legla
, lat0rs be- dumb aud silent. When leg
islatOrs are considering a subject with
which tncy may righgully deal, the
/. temptation lH strong upon .-icm % g0l
: further than ia necessary. or proper,
but thif 10 an inhrmity oi human na'I
tme. In the summary OF legislation
which is communicated 90 you from
year TO year there are many statutes
. which might well have been omitted
q from consideration by the Legislatures
: that passed them. OF all the bills In
y iroduced IN any legislative body
! comparatively small percentage be-
't come living guactmonta, and OF these
n but few ever really enter into the
y lif0 OF the community. mere glance
Ia nt this report confirms Mr.. Cartera
T. assertion as 20 the passion Of the
American people for legislation. / 40
b, not believe IN lalasoz falre, and yet
Is az we all know, a very large number
10 of statutes are enacted for no reason
ne whatever except 20 gr4tify the am0i'
M tl0n of some legislator 20 nave nv
u name attached 10 some law. Every
y act passed, adds more or less % the
/, individual "shrlnkagc" Of which Maet
IA eriinck epcaka, but often without any
lcorreapanding advantage 90 orsanizea
socieiy. and undoubtedly the ciiiEas
u gets the worst OF the bargain when
- ever this happens.
4 "A shall NOT believe that the gfea
"a volume OF legislation enacted by th'
ge last congress was inspired By m9r'
~ wantOn lust of power. Il mad haci
~ lof q something higher and bette
than that; an earnest desire 20 dea
Il with conditions not very well under
y stood; and conviction that the tim
= mad come for doing something. 1 d
- not close my eyes 90 the iaet that "
~ CannOt have D heWildering eoNpieAit
iht Ina an our aflalra, and at lne sam
ni time have perfect simplicity In go'
hl ernmont nut I'M an this turmoil, "a
lat whirl oi machinery. governments
aut and mechanical, the organization q
"a labor and capital. the throbblng Z
Bile every pulse. and she strain Of u al
90 90 brain and nerye-what has becum
The OF tho individual mani no dcVelpl
of mcnt nf the state and Of the inst
oW tutions that collectively compose
hat IA ateadily proceeding. uut how apoi
no tha unitsq have pointed out Wnl
me seemed 10 me 90 ho the causes {,
.lth the increased leEielatiun Wnlch mari
ra- tho present age This Legislation hl
aud not been thu cause oi the iremendol
aro activity of modern times. but the
TOR suit 0f it We did not perhaps, choo
Gle the blafo aud confusion OK the u
nv- In which we nnd ourselves entagied
ear bui here we are. The one thing th
t6e we an ought % work for, Us 20 pa
can vent the ohiltoraiion OF men. AZ
y danger OF today So that the best u
most promising OF our youths, "N
~, expectancy and rose % tho fair stat,
win be swallowed up ground Rp
~ the wheels OF q reionilgsa lnsaiinl
w mechanism that neither knows
naA cares. What We may DO 90 rcconc
individual right and individual ~
i ~ dom wlln TIE assured certainty ~
the croasiNR legislation we muai do
ime lawyers. and stiil moro 90 Amerlc
can cligoua And out of lt all step
ihiy step. We shall So forward mayhe
ain- ~ ktffer fhinea Wuf anyway
the shau ~ forward"
un- ----
aave COLLEEN JUeiLEE or
Z to SONS o. HERMAN