Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1916-01-28

Il
consists Of making trades and com
binations whereby bills make up in
votes whatever they lack in merit to
get them incorporated in the laws.
It works like this: I'm vote for
Iyour road bin If you'll vote for my
bridge bill.' and. since we both need
votes. and the less meritorious our
bills are the more votes we win have
to trade for, it is likely the agree
ment will be made. not between two
lGnembers, but between enough OF
them to get the class Of legislation
through. Thusit is that more mon
lev is appropriated than even the
most extravagant senator or MEM
Der intended to appropriate. The
Legislators are not individually to
blame for this. You would. to q
greater or less degree, do the same
thing, if member. or. at the end
of the session, 90 home to q disap-
pointed constituency with copy Of
the revised codes and session laws,
but otherwise empty handed.
The courts are without power to
correct legislation. They may only
determine and declare the legislative
intent and decide whether or not
legislative enactment violates the
constitution. Should a court hold a
law to be invalid because it seems
to be foolish it would invade the
province Of the legislature and as
sumo to exercise the veto power.
Sometimes it occurs that we are
called upon to examine, and our du-
ty requires us to approve. as consti-
tutional, laws which probably would
! mot have received the affirmative
vote Of one of Us, had we been MEM
bers Of the legislature, rather than
the judicial branch of the govern
ment, and had we been given time.
. before being required to vote, to
thoroughly investigate the proposed
measures; and entertain the belief
/. that nearly all Objectionable legisla-
: ton would be avoided If the legisla-
) ture had time to give it the careful
: thought, before the final vote Is taken
7 that the courts must bestow upon il
{ afterwards.
Il can see no relief from these
e conditions except by an amendment
{ to the constitution whereby the leg
0 islative membership win be greatly
7 reduced and the legislative session.
greatly extended. ! may be little
: extreme in this. II 90. it Is due t.
It actual. bitter experience. But
3 favor a Legislative. branch of stat
!. government of one house, cOmposet
= Of not to exceed nine members
le whose term of Office shall be 81,
a years, SO adjusted that one-third o
O. the membership shall b electet
It every two years; also that the stat
Of be districted in such a way that eacl
h section of it will be guaranteed fai
"a representation. The members O
this legislative body should be pai
enough money to procure the bes
IS talent available, and should be ker
TO at work all the time. In addition {
ID, their legislative duties they may,
- thought best. undertake the wor
. of such boards and commissions {
: are now established, or may her,
o after be found TO be necessary.
ey An objection to this propose
ne system may be that It Is not sufi
he ciently representative. All eitizeE
Of this state who have been member
Of the legislature will. | think, agrs
70 that our present system, as it h
en- worked out, is not representati'
of land that its results fall as far sho
-. of meeting the approval Of the legi
3 Iators themselves as they do OF Il
people of the state at large.
'y Il may be that the plan here So
y Reated will not be approved by a m
TO icrity Of the citizens Of Idaho, b
he we vii al agree that 0ur prese
-. system Of legislation Is out Of de-
p and nasuited 70 meet TIE FequiE
menta Of modern times. Since !
rec are elf-gcperning people, there
no reason why we should not crea
.la- for ourselves = plan OF legislatio
whether it be fashioned along {
~ lines here suggested or some othi
oEn- which viii make possible the ena
ant ment of system of laws as neai
dies ideal and as advantageous to us
the the best tsleng pF0curahle. work.
the under the most favorable eircu
IS stances possible, can formulate. I"