The Irish standard., 1907-03-02

the exuberance, the riotousness of po-
litical liberty? AS matter Of fact
we have too many laws; our legisla
lures are too anxious to increase the
bulk OF the statute book. AS things
are tending, we shall soon have so
many laws, that, wrapt around, as it
We're, by serried mail, we shall become
prisoners, forbidden to stir or to walk,
1t certainly were SO, if the bills COM
ing year by year before the sessions Of
the congress Of the nation or the legis-
lature Of the state We're to he turned
into binding enactments.
Excess Of Power.
"The possession of power is an i'll
ccntive to excess. What is the use, it
is thought, Of having power, if it be
not put into exercise? And then, a
law is called for that the legislator
may have it to be fondled as his own
child. Be it a needed laval the bet
ter. Be it totally unnecessary, even
unduly restrictive of the liberty Of the
citizen-a pity it is so, but legislative
power must show itself in act.
Somehow, autocracy lies deep in the
human breast. I am the state, said
Louis Of France, and the state was
made the servant to the ambition, the
whin1 Of Louis. l am a sovereign,
thinks in g. way the American citizen
and what he esteenls must be i'm
posed upon his fellows. Men-women,
too-have caught up an idea, seductive
in the family circle, or within the ad
Joining burg; at once the form of law
is coveted for it, and ones delegate to
the congress or to the legislature is
hidden, under penalty Of losing votes
on next election day, to transmute it
into a law. Thus it happens, that fads
and fancies cover legislative files, and
sometimes reach the desired goal, a
place on the statute book. Meanwhile,
civil liberty in the community is short
ened in it's breathings, and forbidden
to pour out its heaven born fragrances.
Mania for Legislation.
'rhe mania for legislation frequent
" shelters itself under the name of
moral reform. Far from me to oppose
prudent legislation in the allotment of
morality. when crime is to be punished,
natural rights to be safeguarded. a
great and wholesome measure, in tho
interest Of the public veal, to be sup
ported. But far from me, also, to- bid
the moral legislation, which, at best,
promises no results to compensate for
the a'bridgenent Of public civil liberty,
which assumes to SO cover the ground
of morals that no room remains for
the free-willed action Of conscience,
| which by it's pettiness and narrowness
annoys and irritates, and defeats, rath-
er than assists, the very purpose it
proposes as it's justification.
To-day another form of legislative
| mania arises from the industrial rest
lessness into which our times have
| brought us. Here, again, let there be
laws to punish injustice and wrong
doing-injustice and wrong doing on
| every side, whether on that OF the
veakling or Of the strong, on that Of
the laborer or of the capitalist. Let
there be laws wisely reaching out to
the encoura cement of social peace and
OF social prosperity, to the bidding
nigh Of the fair vision of legitimate
demOcracy-equal Industrial rights for
all, equal opportunities for talent and
for energy.
| "Eut let US 5e Gil our guard that in
the pursuit of justice we do not bring
prosperity we do not encounter social
disaster and chaos. Above all other
things, let us be sure to despoil our
selves Of e!l t.ir1Lbings of envy, jeal-
ousy, hatred, in our clamorings for in
dustrial legislation.
"Thcro is in the land today the de-
lusion that men may become rich
through legislation, in lieu OF toll,
talent and economy, that to build up
one class naught else is needed than
TO pull down another: and there is
growing up among US hatred of Sue
cess in others however much that sue
cess may have been the reward of
most praseworthy effort
"That accumulation OF capital, cor
porat tiors. trusts, may have had their
faults, and may need to be watched
over by the state with diligence and
care, shall not deny. But this rnucl,
l. do deny, that accumulations OF capt.
tai and corporations are to be pre-
Judged as guilty, that men having part
in them are TO be deemed almost as
without right to work, without right
to fair play, which is the native ap-