The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-26
Representatives will make it both hot
and strong.
BUT FEW DAYS REMAIN.


But ten days woodworking days
remain of the legislative session of
sixty days; and yet, looking at the
matter from the general standpoint,
the session has barely begun. But lit
tie has been done; the main work of
the session remains undonc. 1t is true
that not much legislation is absolutely
required by the people of the State;
and. if the appropriation bill and the
apportionment bill were passed, the
Legislature need not bother very much
about anything else, But necessarily
it will busy itself with a great many
measures, and the number Of bills yet
unconsidcrcd is appalling, nearly 200.
No doubt the "sfting committee .
will throw out most of these bills,
either as unnecessary or as impractical
of consideration in the limited time
left Perhaps the most strenuous CT
fort will be upon the liquor legislation:
and, from what Senator Badger said
the other days, it appears that the real
bill, which is scheduled for enactment,
has not yet appeared. Two strenuous
efforts have been made to frame bills
that would meet the so.called Repub
lican party pledge, but there is so much
difference of opinion about what that
pledge is that nothing seems to suit.
In the meantime it is comforting to
know that nothing is needed of this
sort of legislation and, if no bill at
all is passed, it would be all the better.
Since we now have settled basis thor
oughly adiudicated, which would be
unsettled by any new legislation, and
with the present status fairly satisfac-
tory to the people, the very best thing
that could be done would be to leave
the matter alone. 1t is conceded gen
orally by all except the prohibitionists
that local option is the true solution
of the liquor question. That is exactly
what we have in its best form; so why
disturb it!
The great trouble about legislation
in Utah. as well as in other States, is
that so much of what is proposed is
left TO the last few days Of the ses-
sion, and there is then no time to ma
ture it by cautious and intelligent con.
sideration. Bills arc rushed through
without much attention to their verbi-
age, and then the courts have a great
time of it in trying to understand pre-
cisely what is meant.
The present session will doubtless be
like others that have gone before. The
time practically up TO the siXtieth day
viii he treated prodigally, and then,
of course, the Legislature will begin to
wake up and see that it must do some,
thing. Bills will be thrown out by the
hatfuIl, and the few remaining ones
will linger along under consideration
the fiction of recesses, when, in fact,
the session has legally expired long
before. This is a matter, however, that
courts decline 10 interfere with, and
when the Legislature fixes up its jour
nal showing that nearly all of the sixty
days legislation has been enacted on
the last day of the session, people may
wonder, but they cannot effectually
complain. 1t is, however, tedious,
wearing process, this final winding up
Of legislation sometimes extending even
more than week beyond the allotted
term of the session. Those who have
part in the proceedings, as well as
those who arc merely lookers-on, are
worn out but arc constantly on the
alert for some sort of an unpleasant
surprise or snap vote which Will over
turn their own plans. 1t is system
of winding up legislation that is not
only rcprchensible but dangerous; yet
il is so thoroughly established by Gus
tom and precedent that we suppose it
viii remain with us world without end.