The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-29
BAR ASSOCIATION j ! ! : j |. I
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are enacted, many unnecessary. ones
and many foolish ores, but; Cd the:
whole, .9do we not move along toward
BIZ fh7ngsf undopbta dly have
system, even with the danger o,f over
great essential feathfes I believe
eteasing Pnrpess whish Re Gas soe
declared runs thru the. ages. ;s I. 8
" James c., Carter declared that the
American people are afflicted with q
passion for legislation amounting al:
most to disease, It is undeniably true
that the average mind believes in the
possibility Of remedying every evil; by
statutory enactment That this idea
is a. false and dangerous one, all hui
man experience attests. It is a sig
:n1ificant,: perhaps odious, evidence iof
tine changes in the popular idea of the
Legislative function, ,to%note the vastly
increased range of subjects. with which
our statutes now deal. They are be-
coming largely merely administrative
and regulative;a establishing rules for
the direction and control of. business
activities, drawing lines Of separation
between that which is, and always was
permissible, and that which, shall no
longer be SO; establishing boards and
commissioners, and providing for a
scrutiny which, more and more: prizes
into affairs that once were supposed to
pertain exclusively to the individual
primarily interested. ;*'%.,' = Fl
:. 1T is folly to suppose that modern
life can go. on with it's ever increasing
cQmplexity, and Legislators be dumb
sidering g subject; with which they may
,rightfnlly deal, the temptation is Strong
upon them to-, 20 further than is 1eces.
sary or proper. but this is an infrmity
OF human nature. '.-,..-.l
Why Lave Are Passed. :, +
eve all know a large number of
statutes are enacted for. no reason
whatever except to crafty the ambi-
ton of some legislator to have his name
attached to a law. Every act passed
adds more or less to the individual
shrinkage'"- Of. which Maeterlinck
speaks, but often without any CORE
spending advantage to- organized soci-
ETY., and undoubtedly the citizen. gets
the worst Of the bargain whenever this
happens. - - 49, ...:
IT shall not believe that the great
volume of legislation enacted by the
last congress! was inspired by mere
wanton lust Of power, It had back Of
it som ething higher and better than
that; an earnest desire. TO deal with con-
ditions not we'll understood, and a con:
viction. that the time had come for do
ing something. I do: not: close my eyes
to. the. fact that one cannot have a be-
Wildering :. completely in all our
affairs, and at the same time have per
feet simplicity in government. =. -
1.-The one thing that'we ought all to
work. for is to prevent the. obliteration
Of men: The danger = Of today is that.
the best and most, promising Of our
youths, the 'expectanc.-, and rose Of the
fair state will be, swallowed up,
ground up in the. wheels of relent-
less, Unsuitable mechanism that neither
knows nor} cares; What: we may do to
reconcile individual right and individ-
ual freedom with the, assured certainty
of increasing legislation we must do
as lawyers; and still more as American
citizens. And out of it all, step By
fbt stRPs, Wf nings But aS1Tav
20 forward.O 49, -.:>>e 49,. - p