Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-05
BY STEPHEN LEACOCK.
VERY recently one of the most dis
! tinguished jurists of this CONT
! nent wrote as follows:

Y VERY recently one OF the most dis
tinguished juristS of this CONT
" nent wrote as follows:
| There never was a period In
which there was such contin-
ued advance in social legislation as at
the present day. Much of this prog
reSS has escaped public attention, often
for the reason that it has been effected
rather by the revision Of existing legis-
lation than by the passage of entirely
new laws and the initiation Of entirely
novel reforms. Those who wish to APP
| preciate its scope and its benehcence
must consult the statute books
When I see a direct command like
that, I always follow it. If that dis
! tinguiShed Judge says must" consult
| the statutes, then I've got to do 1t. Just
! as when I see restaurant advertising
sign with the words, Dinner now
ready" feel as if had to go in.
So went into a public library and
asked for a few books of statutes and
sat down to look into the matter. A
very brief perusal-not more than three
or four hours-was needed to convince
me that the great jurist had, If any
thing, understated the case. took q
number of topics dealing in one way or
another with social welfare, and in each
case was amazed to see the dow of light
thrown upon it by this actual consulta-
I gathered from 6 casual persual of the
newspapers were crystallized under the
clear light of precise legal definition.
took first the question of immigra-
| ton. I knew in general way that
within the last year or so bills had been
brought into Congress to limit immigra-
ton and to raise the standard of the
immigrants, but knew nothing definite.
had heard. as every has, Of the IA
I L. IAA h. T@IH IA
which Is to do such big things. but
! had never seen the text of it. Here 1t
I is-almost word for word-.or as closely
! as I recall it, though I may be mis-
/ taken as to the exact number and flg-
! ures, but that's nothing.
! Cd 1t is hereby enacted that the act
! Of Congress of 1910 regarding imnaigra-
1 ton into the United States shall be
! amended as from May ], 1929, so that
all the words from whereby and which,
ever" line 6. paragraph 2, down to- the
| words las often as and then some" line
8, paragraph g. shall be deleted. and
words lin all and every case" line 4,
paragraph 4, shall read "but not in all
and every case"
(2) Clause of paragraph shall be
struck out and thrown away
! 80 The full stop or period after line
! in clause Of paragraph shall be
changed into a semicolon.
"a In line 8 of the final paragraph
the words freely admitted to the
United States" shall be followed by
words IT guess not"
1t certainly is wonderful and inspir-
ing piece of legislation. The judge is
right when he says we must 60 to the
very text of the statutes.
Here Is another. This Is taken from
the new protection of children amend
ment act (Ohio or Indiana, I forget
which,. Certainly 1t breathes a spirit
of the broadcast humanity and is far in
advance Of anything yet done. Listen
to it:
ION and after the first day of the
month of November of the current year
! the word shall is inserted in line s of
paragraph of Statute 4129, Stat. III.
and the words all and whatsoever shall
be added after the second semicolon In
the fifth paragraph"
1t is pleasant to read this over and
to think that so much has been done
for the little ones. We might add to it
! the recent language Of the amended
school act of one of the same States.
which is designed to safeguard the
! health of the tiny tots in the elemen-
| tary grade. 1t says:
Par. 2, Clause 6, Amended Act 1901,
Statutes 1929, except as provided here
! inbelow, subsection (d) and the west
! half OF subsection % are deleted and
hole left where the passages used to
! be-"
Looking over these changes that in
! dictate the forward movement of free
| dom, one can gather here and there q
! better view of the actualities Of history
| than was hitherto available. Everybody
knows that the world-famous Declare
ton of Independence was not adopted
/ in the form first drafted. 1t was
amended and reamended, whole pas
SageS were left out, and the punctua-
! ton submitted to radical change.
We may visit the famous scene
! enacted at Philadelphia jefferson
! standing with the amended draft in his
| hand, the fathers Of this country sitting
around him, their eager faces intent on
every syllable.
Gentlemen" says the great states