The twice=a=week herald. (Amarillo, Tex.) 1887-1906, 1906-08-31

certain well-denned '1Ates't1
differences. The executive oificer
might recommend legislation, but It
was assumed that any Interference on
HIS part to command II would not
only be going beyond bis powers, bl,
would also excite resentment.
Now, however, this IDA has gone
TO the limbo of other beautiful, but
deal, Heals. An executive officer
may not only recommend, butNs ex-
pected to urge. and. II necessary, in
order to carry his point, to use tho
great power OF his office TO compel,
the enactment OF avs. lie may call
In the presiding officer AMI leaing
mefbers OF the legislative department
OF the government Of which he is
the executive. and demand OF them
such legislation as he deems wise,
and will be considered Justified II he
distributes or wlthholds his patronage
for the avowed purpose OF inducing
or forcing legislation, II at the time
there is public sentiment In favor
OF such legislation, Instances arc,
however. not uncommon, In which
such official will make short worl,
OF corrupt combinations to get pub
lie money, or II bills intended to pro-
mote class interests. or OF others
whose simplest purpose is theft or
transportation. Legislative bodies,
all the way from congress to viii
lage council, pass bills dealing with
their own employees, with letter car
riersor other classes Of officials, with
departments and bureaus, or with po-
lice and firemen, with no other pur-
pose than that of putting the respon-
slbillty upon the President, the gov
ernor or the mayor. To the credit
OF the latter II must be said that
seldom is such a reliances vain.
Within the narrow limits necessa-
rily observed in such an address as
this It is only possible to indicate. on
the broadcast lines, the evils incident
to the system which makes It impos-
sible to remember that men have long
been under the government Of law;
that mankind is moved everywhere
pretty much by the same impulses
and influences; that in tho course
OF the ages concerning which histo-
ry has left us a record, nearly every
legal device has been tried that, in
general, man, IKE nature, casts off
the useless and that each failing |
however many times It
may be tried, Is still the same imprac-
tlcable movement wasting valuable
time and effort.
When we shall learn that egisla-
live bodies must be made up Of me
llocrities so long as quantity and not
quality of laws is regarded as the es-
sential requisite; when some of the
to legislate shall be re-
moved by less frequent meetings of
such bodies; when trained official
craftsmen shall be employed to give
he necessary laws legal and literary
'orm; when executives are forbidden,
'ather than encouraged, by public
sentiment to interfere with the or
ierly course of law-making,-when
hese simple steps are taken, it will
,e possible to look forward with hope
o the times when hysteria, black
nail, partisanshipo personal ambi-
ions and selfish interests will not
i'd ten new laws to the statute books
When only one is needed. At all
lines in history the safeguards of the
avs, slowly built up and carefully
ested men have been able to
rogress, to command constantly
freedom and to promote
utilization. In the future, as in the
ast, the law must recognize what
as been done; 1t must look forward
ontinually to the protection of men
rom vioence and anarchy, AMI their
from spoilation. This can