The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-02-02

is a complicated thing, and the laws
regulating it are, or should be, intricate
bits of construction. You can't settle
the pure-food question properly with
out going pretty deep into chemistry,
physiology and pathology. Railroads,
insurance, banking, taxation, take you
deep into the unsolved puzzles of eco
nolnics. Criminal law, education, the
administration Of city governments,
public ownership, even good roads, call
for a deep understanding of basic
problems. Few of these problems can
be approached without an exhaustive
preparatory study Of conditions in 9TH
er countries, all around the world. The
legislature couldn't make one good law
in three months, let alone 5000, with
out turning In some direction for aid
and counsel. Our WE'LL meaning farm
ars, Eafocefi.ss and manufacturers,
are probably sendowedIsasssi1b3; 's ;tl1gt pro-
tound fghorante AZ at. basi problems
which come out in the form Aof a loud
contempt for science" and theory"
But now they are, iii the language Of
the committee room, up against it,
They have got to make 5000 laws in
three months, without much as an idea,
in some cases, of what the blessed
things are all about. A good many OF
our farming and manufacturing friends
would really like to make good laws;
but probably not one of them is compe-
tent to draw bill that will hold to.
gether. To make it worse, these laws,
good or bad, will come down forcibly
on every man, woman, and child in the
state. They will have good deal to
do with that life, liberty, and the pur-
suit of happiness guaranteed to every
American.
This was the proposition that Mr..
Mccarthy faced with his Ph.D. in the
bureau drawer and his idea pushed to
law in the statute books which nobody
but Mccarthy had given thought to.
1t stated that $1,500 should not be ap-
propriated for the establishment of a
special legislative library, which should
be in the capitol. A little digging
brought up the interesting fact that
the "not' had not been in the lay as
passed. Mccarthy called on the at
torney general and got all opinion to
pocket, he went around to the capitol
to enforce it in person. But nobody
was interested. BESIDES, there was no
room in the capitol. Mccarthy investi-
gated, and finding plenty of space in
the attic he carried up a hammer and
saw and partitioned off the new state
department.
One day the governor came to in
spect the capitol. They told him
with some humor and more concern,
about "the man in the attic" The gov
ernor-it was La Follette--being live
man, went up to see. And seeing the
improvised desk, and the board par
tition, an dthe young fellow with the
commonplace brown mustache and the
Hapsburg chin, he asked what it all
meant.
And the young fellow told him, but
not with faltering voice and down.
cast eyes. You have read that stirring
poem by j.. I. c. Clarke. called "The
Fighting Race'-the one that ends with
, the fine sentiment:
well, here's thank God for the race
and the sod!'
| Said Kelly and Burke and Shea.
Well, that is McCarthy's race, too.
What he said to the governor was:
Now, you just sit right down there
and I'll tell you-Tll place it right be-
fore you
And the governor sat down.
What Mccarthy said to the governor
Twas something as follows: