Fort Pierce news. (Fort Pierce, Fla.) 190?-1920, 1909-04-23
From the Capital
Tallahassee, Fla, April 10, 'O9'


county are expecting to hear from me
through the county papers relative u
the Fantastic Freaks" which are sup
posed TO eminate from the members OF
the legislature and to express my oPln'
ion thereon. In this connection, WISH
TO say, that think we have gooo'
solid, substantial body Of men, who re-
alize and feel that they have been sent
here by the citizens of the State OF
Florida to do those things which Will
most effectually promote her material
educational and moral welfare, Up 10
the dresent time no Freak legisla-
tion has clamored for place among
our laws and unless | am very much
mistaken in the makeup OF the mem
bers Freakism" will be invited to TO
way back and sit down" OF course
little 'grand-stan1" play is admissible
at times, and the House patronzlngly
INDUCES those prone 10 this careless
amusement. But, taken as whole,
there seems to be 4 feeling and desire
TO get down to business. There is pos
sibly an impression that as am on the
Temperance committee that the pro-
posed Submission" or Constitutional
matter, is before my committees; but 1t
is not, as it was referred TO the com
mittee on Constitutional amendments,
which is a good committee for the mat
ter in question, and will no doubt re-
port favorably in short time. Legis-
lators do not rush things as rapidly as
the average citizen thinks he should,
ana it is wise for him not to do so, for
every law that is passed effects directly |
or indirectly every citizen in the State,
and the utmost care should be taken, |
for past experience has demonstrated |
that hasty legislation has cost the State
many hundreds of thousands of dollars
and has occasioned the introduction of |
bills to the present legislature asking
for relief from the hasty. and ill.ad-
vised laws OF the past. | do not mean
to say that no bad legislation will be
passed at this session, for | am satisfied
that with the multiplicity Of bills that
will be introduced that it is physical
and mental impossibiity for them TO
receive the careful attention and study
that they are entitled to, consequently
some bad legislation will get into our
laws. One ot the chief troubles lies
within the fact that when a bill comes
out of committee and read for the first
time in full, majority do not get more
than general idea of what it contaias
and is intended for. By the time it
reaches its third reading, they have
probably lost the connection and are
therefore at sea, the final result being
that they have either passed or de
teated a bill, the real merits of which
they have but faint conception, and
in this connection | wish TO say that
there should be some provision made
whereby the Supreme Court should
take every bill passed and detirmine its
constituJionality before it becomes a
law. BY doing this, thousands OF dol.
lards would be saved TO the citizens of
the State, rs they are The ones that
tiually have TO put up the money TO
determine their validity. feel that
have been accorded by the Speaker o,
the House the most liberal treatment
DIS 10 the appointment on committees.
when It is taken into consideration,
that not only did not vote for him bpt
told him frankly before the caucus, thar
felt myself bound by my position on
the question of submission TO support a
man who entertained the same viewsas
myself on that subject, even though n
felt absolutely confident that he would
appoint committees VIII would renor,
the proposition favorably, and my pre-.
ulctlon along that line has been yeri.
lied by such appointments on both m.
temperance and the Constitutional
Amendment committees. On other
matters Of public concern the posi,ion
oil The Speaker is well known nv his
record in the House as member two
years ago. and taken in connection win
ms utmost fairness in the appointment
OF committees of all kinds and esneei
any 0t The Temperance and Constifn
tional Amendments. / wish Lo go,
that no mistake has been made in bis
being elected the SnaaLa,eh;~ nle