The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1917-04-19

bly, of Colorado closed its regular bi-
ennial session on the oath day of
March. 1917. and its acts and doings
are now history.
II has been criticized By part OF
the state press numerically and in
consequence of this adverse criti-
cism many people OF the state look
upon it and remember it as one of
the worst that has ever sat since the
state began.
hold no brief for the party in pow
er nor do / wish to be understood
as upholding and defending every
thing that this legislature did or
attempted to do but it is fair to say
that this legislature will compare
very favorable with any other legis-
lature that has sat in this state.
! am writing now particularly of
the lower house. II consists of sixty
four men and one woman. These
members are selected from all walks
of life-laTyers. preachers. teachers.
merchants. doctors, farmers. stock
men. editors. miners. contractors.
plumbers, etc, one can scarcely think
of calling that is not represented
in this body of sixty-hve. Politically
Il is divided into two parties-forty
democrats aDd twenty-five repub-
licans.
In ability and experience these men
will measure up very favorably with
an average city board of aldermen.
AS to honesty and sincerity OF pur-
pose no one can truthfuily find fault.
The fact il that this assembly express
ed the dominant political thought Of
the state as 1t was made manifest
at the last election and each mem
ber SO chosen tried his very best to
interpret and to represent the ideas
of the majority of his people.
Colorado Is difficult state 10 make
laws for. We have such diversity of
interests. climate and productions
We are a proud. independent. progress
the very best but we are poor and
very extravagant and wastefui. Our
state institutions must be OF the very
best-better than many similar insti-
tutions In older states having four or
five times our wealth. We have one
large city containing over onefourth
OF our pulation-ccataining a virile
press which ,moulds AID shapes a
large part OF our Legislation. Many
members are controlled thru fear Of
these papers or are nattered into sub
mission by seeing their names en-
rolled among those who stand for the
right of the common people-when in
all truth their stand is in opposition
to the best interest of the so-calied
common people.
II requires patience. knowledge.
experience industry. good health.
patriotism. forbearance. honesty. kind
ness and charity and greater than all
are patience and experience to make
good and useful Legislation He
should keep in mind constantly the
great responsibility of making laws
TO govern over a million people. He
ought to know and must know the full
meaning OF government. how IL touch
es every hearth stone and throws an
encircling wall of safety around
every one-the high and the low
alike. He must know ana fully. real
lie that every drop OF blood and every
dollars worth of property is held and
firmly bound TO the upholding of the
sovereignty OF this state. We do not
all believe this or IL is better to say
we do not all realize this-hence we
represent class OF a faction or a fad
or n sentiment. II goes without con-
tradiction that in every assembly men
70 who should have remained at
home. The twenty-first general as
sembly had several of these-no more
than the average. They were the un-
certain ones-the thick-headed-
muddled brain fellows-the dreamers
the conceited ones---the faddists and
foolish ones. They take up the time
OF the house listening to the sound
of their own voices or they are CON
trolied by some stronger faddist.
The majority elected man for
speaker-a very fair-minded man.
not one OF much legislative expert
ence but one who held the respect
OF the minority and was esteemed
by most of the members of the house.
The Democratic members were a
very difficult body TO control or keep
together. They were a united body
upon one thing and one thing only
and that was to keep the republicans
NJ far au,nv from fhn r,io.~o,,near n q