The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-03-04
S|DEl|GHTs ON
THE LEGISLATURE
How Its Proceedings Are
Carried On.
THE FATE OF THE USUAL BILL
Constitution Is Blamed For
Much "Red Tape" Which
Is Practiced.
FOOL" BILLS CAUSE TROUBLE
(Griffin Cochran in Lexington
Herald.)

Herald.)
Frankfort, KY, Feb. 2S.--With
the session approaching its close,
The spectre of the Rules Committee
taking charge of all the bills, pets
included, is beginning to loom large
over the House and Senate. This in
evitabie conclusion of the session is
beginning to cause spasmodic efforts
10 get bills out as special orders. and
The members, jealous of such favor
itism, are beginning to vote down all
propositions of this kind. 1t was
concern for their own measures left
in the orders of the day, rather than
any opposition to the bills on their
merits. that defeated the proposal
10 make special orders of the Wom-
an Suffrage and Workmen's Com
pensation bills.
But the fear of the all-powerful
Rules committee doesn't produce any
acceleration in the cumbersome
methods of doing business in either
House. The morning sessions are
still taken up with the full reading
of long bills reported by commit
tees, and the equally tedious calling
upon committees for reports. and
the Anticipated system still prevails
of reading bill through from the
enrolled copy, after it has been
signed by the presiding officer.
The purpose of the latter formal
ity is to act as a check upon any err
ror, or intentional perversion of the
bill by the enrolling clerks. but in
practice,it is useless, for no one pays
the slightest attention to the read
ting.
Strangely enough, although the
bill is read through from beginning
TO end at its first reading. when no
action is taken upon it, on its third
reading, Just before It is voted upon.
il is read by title only. Consequent
ly, bills which are but little discuss
ed and only slightly amended are
voted upon by members who have
only a vague idea of what II is all
about.
Like good many other useless
customs and inconvenient condi-
lions, the Constitution is blamed for
II all. for it provides the manner in
which bills shall become laws. AS a
natural result. when the last excit-
ing hours of the session come, the
reading of enrolled bills degenerates
into a mere humble, and there is
tradition that one famous clerk once
read bill of fifty enrolled pages In
fifteen seconds.
In spite of the mass of undisguis-
cd, and even uncooked, legislation
stacked up in both Houses. the inno-
cent pleasure of Introducing bills is
still being INDUCED in. with the
same reckless disregard of any other
bills which may be under considera-
ton. For instance the fourth hoop
net bill. to permit the placing of
hoopnets in various Kentucky rivers
was introduced yesterday, in spite
OF the protests OF the State game
warden against this Wholesale form
Of FISH harvesting and on the same
day that the House passed a general
fish and game bill. full of rigid re-
II game is so scarce In the State
Jas reports would indicate. some of
the members thought Il would be
wise idea to prohibit the killing OF
various kinds of game absolutely
for a, period OF years. Mr.. Hutch
craft. in speech yesterday. gave an
Ingenious reason why such meas
ure would be impracticable.
THE game laws cannot be enforc-
I'D without wardens." he said. THE
only revenue to pay the wardens Is
derived from the game licenses. II
hunting is entirely prohibited, there
viii be no licenses taken out. and
there will be no money to pay the
wardens. and hence no real protec-
ZION for the game his contention
being that the game is better pro-
rected by permitting some hunting.
than by prohibiting It entirely.
Fool bills. which are Intended
as. jokes. and which the author ex-