The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-07-29

be justified by specific. comprehen-
sive and conclusive analysis of the
causes of the failure of state govern
ment." The argument of the advocates
of the initiative and referendum 10
that as their representatives have &c
trayed their trust, the people must
resume the power they have delegated.
Yet it does not necessarily follow
that because many legislatures have
been corrupt or inefficient or dom
mated by special interests, that the
representative system is a failure. II
men who are unworthy or incompe-
tent are elected to the legislature,
who is to blame? Is no censure to be
attached to the people by whom they
are voluntarily selected? Is vox pop
uli vox deli? If the people either
through indifference or apathy select
unworthy representatives. would it noS
necessarily follow that through the
influence of the same apathy and Ia
capacity they would make poor law
makers and pass many bad laws? An
analysis of the causes of legislative
corruption and inefficiency should not
be predicated upon the old and bale
full American tendency of always
ascribing failure of our state govern
ments to some personal betrayal OF
trust. Is it never the people who are
to blame? AS a matter of fact, if tbs
people are not to blame then our
whole scheme of representative gov
eminent Is failure.
But 1t is not representative govern
ment which is a failure, but the
methods, practices and organization
we adopt to give it expression In the
reorganization of the state legislature
we should remove all unnecessary re-
strictions upon legislative competency
and increase its powers and respon
sibility. We should restore the annual
session. nor would the restoration Of
the annual session constitute any rad
zeal change in the we'll settled policy
of the state. We must remember that
annual sessions prevailed in this state
until 1874 The Introduction at that
time of the biennial system was due
to two causes, the pressing necessity
that confronted the constitution
makers to reduce expenses and save
the state from threatened bankruptcy
and a distrust of the legislature en-
gendered by the extravaganza and
profligacy that characterized the leg
islatures of the reconstruction era
The members should be elected 81.
ennially The session should be limited
to go days, with the proviso that it
could be extended to 80 days by reso-
luton. if such resolution was ap
proved by the governor, his approval
to be overcome by a two-thirds vote.
The constitution should fix the date
when the legislature is to convene
The senate should be elected fol- a
longer term-three years-and divided
into classes as prescribed by the con-
stitution of 1919 as amended. The
mem ers of the house should be elect
ed for two years. With abundant time
for debate and consideration of every
important measure, it would be dis.
covered that the legislative output
would be diminished. instead of being
increased. But the most important and
necessary reform would be a radical
decrease in the membership of the
legislature. The practice that now pre-
walls of giving representative to
each county should be abandoned This
house of Representatives should be
composed of not over 80 members, two
from each congressional district and
10 from the state at large.-Th senate
should contain 5 members, one from
each congressional district and five
from the state at large. This member
ship of As members would be suffi-
GENTLY large to represent every por =
ton of the state, and the reduced
membership would increase the TN
portance of the office and elevate the
legislative standard.
The election of a certain proportion OF
its membership from the state at large
would unquestionably elevate the tone
and character of the legislature. Under
the present law the member must be
a resident of the county he represents
Usually he acts on the presumption thai
his political reputation and usefulness de-
Ponds upon the number of bills he car
introduce and the amount of appropria-
tons he can secure for his county The
state treasury is grab bag to be looted
in the interest of his constituency. He
is not representative of the state but
OF a county, and the interests of the
county and not the state are to be first
considered. If there is any conflict his
vote and influence is always to be count
ed on for the county 1t is by the vote