The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1913-03-07
LAW MAKING
A HUGE JOKE
WHILE THERE ARE SOME
SERIOUS MINDED, SINCERE
MEN IN THE LEGISLATURE,
MANY SEEK TO MAKE
FARCE OF LAW-MAKING.
Especial correspondence.)

by many men who are sent to repre-
sent the people in the legislature is
impressing more and more upon the
minds of all serious-minded persons
the fallacy of so-called representative
government and the necessity of di-
rect legislation by the people them
selves through the initiative, referen-
dunn and recall. "The only safe way
to get decent legislation" said an on
locker today who had become disgust
ed with the scenes of misrepresenta-
tion he had just witnessed in the
house where some jobs in the interest
of the big business crowd had been
put over, "is to have a much smaller
body, composed of men elected at
large by the votes of all the people
with view to selecting men of the
highest qualifications who will repre-
sent no special districts with interests
TO trade in matters of law making and
then have all measures, as worked out
by these men, referred to the people
on referendum vote for their approx
al before they become laws"
When one sees all the trading that
goes on between these representatives
and senators, who represent districts,
in order that each may get some little
legislation in the way of appropria-
ton for roads, schools, and that sort
of thing, to take back to his people,
one begins to understand the great
need for some radical change in our
system of legislation. 1t is this trad
ing that the special interests resort to
in order to get legislation through that
works to the injury of the people. In
order to get some special piece of leg
islation through in the interest of their
own districts many otherwise good
legislators are led into voting for bad
laws. So far as the general welfare
is concerned this species of legisla-
tive bribery is just as pernicious as
though the members were bought out
right for so much cold cash, although
it is looked upon as being legitimate.
There has been a lot of this sort of
thing going on in Olympia the past
few days. The fight that has been
raised over the governors veto of the
Cheney normal school appropriation
and the pork barrel" bill for asa
100000 good roads" levy, together
with the road appropriation bills pass
ed Monday under myriad of trades
and compromises, constitutes dis
gusting example of our present miser-
able system of legislation that calls
loudly for a change. 1t took almost
weeks time for the machine members
Of the legislature to put and carry
through these deals through system
of trading bills of every kind and char
acter, and there is no knowing how
much other bad legislation is going to
be put through as consequence of it
before the session is over.
In the meantime legislation legiti-
mately in the interest of the people
and for good, clean government, is
having hard shedding, having been for
gotten by a majority of the legisla-
tors in the rush for their share at the
pork barrel" The bill to give the
people the right to amend the state
constitution by the initiative, the an
Unemployment agency bill that aims to
destroy that pernicious graft upon Ia
Dor, the blue sky" law which strikes
at the root of "get-rich-quick stock
jobbing schemes, as well as the many
other equally meritorius measures
that are being backed by those who
are here to represent the interests of
the common people, are being pushed
with all the energy, that the members
of the joint legislative committee can
command, but their progress is as
slow as the progress of righteous
measures usually are under the cum
bersome operation of this antiquated
system of legislation from which we
suffer. We can remedy this evil only
through perfecting our system of di-
rect legislation, or at least by reduc-
ing the status of the legislature to a
mere advisory body of the whole peo-
pie. This would make every legisla-
tor so thoroughly subject to the will
of the people that they would not dare
to flirt with the special interests. and
then we would stand a good show to
get decent legislation at all times.
In the meantime labor will have to
work the best it can to secure the en-
actment OF its measures under these
present handicaps. In the future 1t
must be careful in the selection of
men to come to the legislature, selec-
ting whenever possible men from it's
own ranks, and work in the principle
of direct legislation. AS an aid to the
selection of proper men to represent
the people in the next legislature, the
voters want to carefully bear In mind
the records that are being made by
some OF the members of the present
body with a view to leaving them at
home at the next election. A complete
official report viii be furnished in due