The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-08-28
roo MUCH LAw.MAXltla
Legislators Might Do Well To Follow
E. J. Phelps Advice

Legislators Might Do Well To Follow
E. ]. Phelps Advice
The state OF Vermont suffers from
too many laws.
Owing to our deplorable system Of
limiting the experience OF our law
makers to a single session as a rule,
members OF both branches Of the leg
lslature, act on the superstition that
they will not be counted successful
lawmakers unless they succeed In
attaching their names to one or more
laws and introduce all sorts Of useless
bills Gays the Burlington Free Press.
They have had more experience than
their neighbors in the formulation OF
laws and as a result every session
sees measures spread on our statutes
which should not be enacted and
which would fail utterly to secure fav-
orable consideration but for or sys
TEN of depending almost wholly upon
raw and untried legislators.
Speaker Wadsworth Of New Yorks
ASSEMBLY spoke the other day OF the
manner in which the Empire state is
"crowding its statute books every
year with a mess of enactments many
of them unnecessary and some OF
them vicious, and yet every one OF
them apparently demanded by some
portion Of the people. The Brooklyn
Eagle In commenting on this utter
ance says.
Years ago, when Edward J. Phelps
Iafterward minister to England, was
a lonesome democrat In Vermont
John w Stewart, now senator from
that state to fill the unexpired term
OF Redfield Proctor was elected to
congress, Phelps and Stewart were
cronies and Phelps gave the congress-
lman some advice before his departure
for Washington. You'll be a great
Legislator, john" he said III you vote
against every bill that is introduced
no matter what II is for, or where II
comes from. The laws are at least
fifty years ahead of public sentiment
There is always law enough to last
Through the next generation II con.
gress and Legislators could be blotted
out"
Recent history has abundantly cor
lroborated the views OF Minister
Phelps and Speaker Wadsworth
There was great deal OF talk. foi
instance. about curbing the railroads
by new laws and the Hepburn Law
the White House bugle, calling the
Performers to battle. But such prose
cutions OF the railroads as there has
been were under the Sherman law
which had lain a dead letter on the
statute books for years. II was an
eloquent example of Phelps laws
which were fifty years ahead of pub
! lie sentiment.
Far more than We need new laws
I'VE need to obey the laws we have
| We need a great revival of obedience
too and respect for law, and that feel
ing is not encouraged by enacting SO
many statutes that even lawyers nc
longer pretend to know the law until
they look II up"
| II New York is suffering from toe
many laws in spite of its system OF
retaining the services of efficient law
makers for a number of terms, what
can Vermont expect to accomplish
with the crude and law-multiplyine
one term system? II we had less law
makers who are inclined to send theil
trunks to the state house and more
Legislators of two or more terms Of
Experience in one branch Of the leg
islature or the other, Vermont would
have less reason to complain of crud,
unnecessary and damaging laws.
Vermont's lawmakers can well TAX,
the injunction of the late Minister
Phelps to themselves and allow thei
wish to shine as lawmakers to be Ia
ken for the deed.