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

You know what the average legis-
ator is. John Jones is elected. He ia
I good citizen, a man of hard sense,
we'll respected III his community. Hc
enters suddenly into a new life. He
comes to live in a new community. He
is dogged about and worried by office
seekers. His old friends are not around
to help ropes. He finds that he must
introduce bills, and in some way get
those bills through the legislature. He
must first of all, get those bills drawn.
and never having drawn bill in his
life, it is very hard work. Complex
questions are hurled at his head.
Even scientific subjects that the chem
list or the physician or the engineer
has had hard time to deal with must
be met by John Jones, and that in the
rush and hurry of committee work
and his multitudinous duties.
IF he is conscientious he will try to
way is to consult somebody else. He
finds around him bright men, well-paid
lawyers, men Of legal standing. willing
to help him in every way 1t is easier
to consult these bright men; and often
if he does it, he is lost"
The bright men, of legal standing"
are, of course, our old friends, the at
torneys for the railroads and the pub
lie service" company, and the big
brewers and manufacturers.
Take the committees, now" (We
are still to imagine Governor La Fol-
lette sitting in that $1.2s chair, while
this attic Webster places it before
hinl.") "The committee is often a
judicial body. It sits III judgment upon
private bills. It gives rights and fran
chises that make men wealthy or de-
prive men Of their property. Yet this
court hears often but one side of an
argument, and has no means of investi-
eating the truth of one statement
made. 1t is subjected to hundred in
f1uenees that no Judge is subjected to
Would we allow such state of affairs
in our private business? Would we
tolerate it in our judiciary Why. the
powerful interests frequently do moi
not have to resort to bribery! Their ex-
perts can win by their irresistible force
Of argument alone. Is it any wonder
that many good people throw up thei,
hands with joy and say, Thank Goo
the legislature is over?'"
A clear statement. 1t would seem, Of
our great trouble, state and national
1t makes quite plain the reason why 4,
costs rs cents to send a telegram
twenty-five miles: why railroads kill
and MAIN us and casually decline t.
pay their taxes; why our gas and elec-
trio light and street car and telephone
and express and railroad prices are
so loaded that you and are paying
the interest on oceans Of wateret
stock. And the remedy? Hear Nc.
Carthy:
"The remedy is simple.
"Let us have information bureaus
open to private and public interests
alike. If itsis hard to get this material
get experts to gather it. If business
interests have good lawyers to look
after their legislation, the people should
secure the same kind of men. If the
business interests secure statisticians
engineers, and scientific men, then the
public should do likewise. Legislation
must be put upon a more scientific
basis. An able lawyer can today go be.
fore a committee of good farmers and
good merchants and usually, though
he may not speak the truth. that com.
mittee is at the mercy of that man
He can tell them that a certain bill i.
unconstitutional, or has been failure
where tried. He has behind him many
clerks to gather statistics for his us.
before that committee. What can the
individual member do under those cir.
cumstances?
"Now why not have a bureau to sup.
ply information to the legislature? Il
won't be SO easy then for a man tc
make false statement before a com.
mittee. The legislator can hold his
head up, and speak out for himself, be.
cause there will always be some place
he can go to for help. The legislato,
won't then have to depend upon wha,
people tell him who have a financial
interest in this or that bill"
There are good many big, far.
sighted acts to be set down to the
credit of Robert M. La Toilette. No,
the least of these is the fact that he
sat patiently in that kitchen chair anc
heard Mccarthy out. La Toilette sait
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