The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-07-27


A signincsnt part Of the history Of the
present Legislature is yet to be writ
ten. The place and rank to which II
viii be assigned in the long records Of
the Legislatures Of Alabama since 1919
10 vet to be fxed. An. extraordinary
session OF that Legislature meets to-
day and BY what is done at this session
the Legislature will be weighed and
JUDGED.
has been criticised. by many people
In many parts of Alabama. Tho bur-
den OF this criticism. the larger part of
IL, has been aimed ut the Legislature
because 1t permitted so much interfer-
encs in its Affairs from outside sources.
It has been charged that certain peo-
pie out of the Legislature could have
passed any bill on which they put
their o. X. 1t has been charged that
certain people. who have no member
ship In either House and no legal
standing In either BODY could and did
shape. all important legislation.
The members Of the Legislature on
calm reflection will admit to them
selves that the people Of Alabama re-
gard the Governor. the Superintendent
OF the Anti-saloon League and the At
torney for the Anti-Saloon League as
the fountain head OF legislative power.
This whole stats knows these men
and look upon them as the powerful
leaders who shape and direct legisla-
tive AFFAIRS. There are not a dozen
members Of the House and Senate who
have thus far sought to Impress their
views upon the bodies Of which they
are members. The average man on the
strset-ths average man on the coun-
try road-if called upon could hardly
name half dozen members of the
House and Senate because of strong
Identification with well known meas
ures. but he could tell instantly some
thing of the record and personality of
the outsiders who are supposed to d.
rect and shape legislation. This 10 an
unpleasant truth-but the members Of
the House and Senate know whether
1t Is or is not true.
Each representative and each Sena-
tor In answerable only to his own peo-
pie. He needs no interpreter to stand
between them and him. He needs no
body to come to him and tell him what
his people want him to do. 1t is hard
ly short of an insult for another man
to come to him and tell him. that un-
less he does certain things powerful
influences will go into his county or
His people sent him to the Capitol:
they clothed him with power and re-
sponsibility. He has to explain his
use of that power and his discharge of
that responsibility to no man or no
set Of men except the constituency
which he represents. 1t is the part
OF q man to meet each problem square
~ as 1t comes up. to act with inde-
pendence and to take instructions
from no man.
The critics Of the Legislature have
never attacked the intentions and pur-
poses Of it's members. These have been
conceded to have been good. But the
critics have attacked the system under
which outsiders have been permitted
to direct and shape legislation.
1t Is now often said. ''This is the era
Of bossism." Every reasonable man is
bound to admit that there is truth in
the assertion. The members of the
Legislature would naturally resent the
declaration that at is a rubber stamp
to o. k. bills that other people con-
ceive and draw up" A policy of in
dependence win answer the most fire.
auent charge that is brought against
the Alabama Legislature.
The request for an extraordinary
session of the Legislature did not
come from its members. The plan for
the call, the proposed legislation was
conceived in conferences held by peo-
pie outside of the House and Senate.
The important bills which will be pre-
scented will be drawn by outsiders
They will be drawn ana presented with
the conviction that the influential po-
litical leaders can put through what
they want
But each Representative ana each
Senator will give an account of his
stewardship to the people who sent
him. The hardest charge brought
against him and the body in which he
served win be the charge that he al
lowed outside people TO control ana
direct legislation
--S-A@S