The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-08-01
The Rain of Law

In leading editorial of recent date, the
Indianapolis News calls attention to the fact that
in Oregon the initiative, referendum and recall
has set loose a perfect flood of law-makng. It
complains that at every election time the people
are obliged to decide on sixty or seventy laws
and thirty or forty amendments to the constitu-
ton. It fears that if the Oregon system of
direct democracy" is permitted to run it's
course the poor Oregonians will be completely
worn out by their job Of voting. It winds up
this expression of it's fears as follows:
What we need is more interest in politics.
We cannot get it by increasing the number of
men to be voted for or subjects to be voted on
This situation, described by the News, is
aptly characterized by w. D. Parkinson, in a
recent Atlantic Monthly essay as "The Rain of
Law and he endeavors to point out that only
disastrous consequences can come to the coun-
try the result of the bewildering mass of
legislation which is being poured upon it.
He declares that a majority Of laws at pres
ent are prepared not by legislators, but by COM
mittees and voluntary workers. 'The legislative
function, which, in the days of absolute mon
archy, was the prerogative of the hereditary
sovereign, in our day of popular sovereignty be-
comes the prerogative of the voluntary sover-
eign Our legislatures have come to be not
law-making bodies but bazaars for marketing the
product of amateur lawmakers
Owing to this situation, ut becomes physi.
cal impossibility for the legislators, as body
to scrutinize with any care such mass of bills
as every legislature enacts at every session
Equally is it inapracticable for the public spirit
ed citizen to attend the hearing and protest g
fraction of the foolish and dangerous bills that
if enacted, would affect interests with which he
is especially conversant.
with laws made in such irresponsible fash
ion, changed in such haste to make it impos
sible for the citizen to keep up with them
couched in such terms as to leave the law evade1
in quite as dignified position as the law abider
and enforced or not enforced, according as the
accused cannot make terms with thu
prosecuting authorities reverence for law doe!
not thrive
Thus Mr.. Parkinson makes very clear tina
the same thing is true of the prevailing legsla
tive system that the News holds to be true only
of the initiative, referendum and recall. TIL
present national congress has had under consid
GRAFTON more than $4,000 bills. All state legis
latures in session and those which will go il
session next year will be compelled to breast tn
same flood of legislation.
| Both writer's aim their shafts at opposit
systems and both condemn these opposite sys
TENS for exactly the same reason. Does not thi
sarcastic coincidence suggest that both may b
right to facts but wrong in the induction
The surest way to cause the people to call hal
to all this wild-eyed law-making is to have tn
burden laid squarely on their own shoulders
When the absurdity of this rain of law is thu
driven home, steps will be taken toward a RENE
dy. With the prevailing system in operation, tn
voter can easily lapse into indifference to tn
whole question. But with the initiative, referer
dunn and recall in action, he will have no rest ur
til something is done.
baugh, has gone to New Kensingto