The courier-index. (Marianna, Ark.) 1917-current, 1920-07-23
DALLYINC LEGISLATORS


scolding members of the state legis-
lature for dawdling instead of ap-
plying themselves to the business OF
the session and stopping the waste
of public funds by Friday1to1Mon-
day recesses and by manifesting dur
ing the rest of the week the notion
they have assembled for diversion.
Much time is wasted by legisla-
lures, and almost without exception
the final day of session is marked
by the expedient of turning back
the clock to extend the time by this
friction so that measures that should
have been disposed of within the
legitimate period may be rush
through. Yet it may be doubted
whether the state is worse off with
this sort of legislation than it would
be with the product of session
devoted strictly to business. Each
legislator has different personal
ity; few are submissive to lead
ership that proposes to eliminate
the diverting circumlocution, the
swapping of maneuvers that make
a session a game as well as serv-
ice. The solon is reluctant to ter
inmate his temporary potency; the
exercise of power feeds his vanity
for the time he is raised above the
commonalty and gets an intellectual
stimulus that is more or less in
toxicating. At times his vote be-
comes of sufficient Importance to
bring him into combination that
flatter him; he is called into confer
ences, and even when he suspects
that he is being used for the bene-
fit of others, he finds the exper-
ience so gratifying that he is will
ing to "fall for it." So the legis-
lator of average calibre can hardly
be expected to submerge himself in
session and hurry through the
business when the opportunity to
exercise "a little brief authority"
may never come to him again.
There is something appealing hu-
man in the spectacle of member
posing in exaggerated dignity, pond
erously and ungrammatically dis
cussing some project of legislation
as though he really knew all about
it; and it's a poor unit for the
legislative machine who does not
have a place on a few committees
and in other ways have his name
preserved in the annals of ses-
sion.
Democratic government precludes
quality in membership of legisla-
lures and congress than assays above
the average in character and intelli-
gence. If the citizen will follow
himself around for a day or two
and note the time he wastes in So
cial contact, the circumlocution OF
his business operations, the derelic-
tions to duty and procrastination
through disinclination to work, he
will be better qualified to pass upon
the quality of the service OF his
legislative representatives.
The chiefets function of society
is to give opportunity for express
sion. The average human being
loves to talk, but in his home and
bailiwick he can only have an au-
dience of familiars who have meas
ured him and placed him as one OF
them. The legislator is not elected
by his neighbors; he must appeal
to the populace of a "deestrict;"
and outside of his neighborhood he
is accepted for what he seems to be
instea dof what he really is His
incapicity prove the actuality of
democratic government, for it shows
the way to office is open to all. To
have a legislature industriously ef-
ficient, unflattered by the prefer
ment and disdainful to the tawdry
glory of a little brief authority,
would be to create an instrument
superior to the citzenship.-Seat-
tie Post-Intelligencer.