Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-01-22
COUNTY OFFICIAL PAPER.
CITY OFFICIAL PAPER.
POINTED ADVICE ABOUT LAWS.

Timeliness is not the only laudable feature of
a full-page editorial in the February number of
the Pictorial Review, for this state and many
Others where the biennial legislative season is now
in full swing, but the forcefulness and the com
mon of the pointed advice therein given
upon the great subject of legislation would make
the editorial well worth reading at any time
Lets Make Law Against 1t" is the heading
the heart of it is to be found in its second para
graph
9 1t is easy enough to legislate against an evil,
but you cannot correct it or eradicate it unless
the new law and public sentiment 60 hand in
hand Our well-meaning women who think that
armed with the ballot, they reform the coun-
try by making new laws, have the wrong idea 1t
is not the letter of the law but the spirit of the
law which counts. The law can prohibit only, and
provide punishment, if it is not obeyed 1t can
not reach the hearts Of the people and create
desire that the evil, small or grave, shall be
abated.'
1t takes considerable resolution and absolute
confidence that what is being said is right, for
the editor of an exclusively women's magazine to
give such advice to thousands of readers when
nearly everybody else is handing them lot of
talk about the wonders they can accomplish with
the ballot But the advice should by no means
be exclusive to the women-it should be given
every voter, men well as women, every legis-
lator, every person who seeks to have anything
to do with promoting that kind of legislation
which is commonly called reformative until this
fact becomes more widely recognized than it is
now and, being recognized, is taken into proper
account when and where new legislation is being
considered
Some Of you will protest that it is now recog-
nized that to give it greater recognition before
attempting legislation would be to retard the
progress Of society, that legislation is enacted
now, speaking broadly, which society does not
demand and for which society is not ready, that
there has always been strenuous educational
campaign prior to the enactment of any such leg
islation Granting that, if you wish, the fact yet
remains that it takes but a majority Of the egis
aature or of the voters to pass law-but it takes
"a tOtality to make it's observance what it should
be- and that even the majority sometimes 'back
slides after the first excitement of the campaign
is over.
So, in the words of the editor of the Pictorial
Review, we say Making laws is altogether too
popular an outlet for emotion in this country.
Whenever there is hysterical outbreak over
some suddenly exploited evil some well-meaning
organization, unframed in lawmaking perhaps
ignorant of laws already on the statute books
rushes into print, holds mass meetings. gets up
petition and rushes Off to the state legislature
and rounds up it's representative. The latter
properly impressed by the wealth or social stand
ing OF the committee, the clippings the pet!-
ton, and not unmndful that reelection some
times depends on the will of the people, hurries
through the desired legislation. A new law is
made. Those who dsobey it will be punished
IL they are caught.
"The growing interest Of American women in
politics, well as in social and industrial condi-
tons, is already having its effect on legislation
5nt women, as well as men who have reforms at
heart, must bear in mind that to make a law
against it is not always the best solution of local
problem nor the best method of crushing local
evil. Often public sentiment will accomplish for
the community all and more than delayed legis.
lation will
IF all that is heard about the present legislative
session can be taken without the proverbial grain
Of salt, Washington seems ready to subsde
little from it's law-making fanactcism, an indica.
ton further substantiated by the way the voters
themselves, men and women rejected most of the
initiative and referendum laws at the last general
election If such condition of affairs is coming
about bringing with it a greater dependence
upon public sentiment in preference to pell-mell