Year: 1878

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 TFsEiR RCONsTrIUENCX AND

 THE STATE.

 We presume we are safe in saying that there are men who have been elected as representatives, and who will sit in the next General Assem bly of the State of Arkansas, who have never before had the task Of legislation imposed upon them. TAere may be those who will set in the Assembly who have never before had any experience whatever in de- liberative assemblies or deliberatiyc proceedings.

 These gentlemen all professed and expressed very great respect and love for the "dear people, when they were on the stump soliciting votes. They pledged unfagging desotion to the peoples interests, and made the wilderness howl with their oratorical reeitations of what they would do when they got into the legislature.

 We trust these gentlemen will allow us now to suggest that 1t Is time for them to be actively engaged in qualifying themselves to fulfil these promises. If any gentleman supposes that it is a very easy and simple thing to fill, erodltably to. himself and proiltably to his consgit- uency, the position of member of ] the legislature, he is very badly mis- taken. Every man who takes . seat ill the General Assembly of the State owes it to himself and his constit- uency to prepare himself and make himself sufficiently well acquainted with parliamentary usage of legisla- tion, to constitute himself 2 credila- ble, useful member. Almost any body may occupy seat in the legis- lative halls and draw his per diem, but to occupy it crelitably and prof itably involves @ knowledge of the routine of Legislation. The man who goes there without sufficient ac- quaintance with parliamentary prac- tice to enable him to dispatch busi- ness in order and in proper form is only a clog in the way of the speedy dispatch of business which the pub 1 lie interests demand. The business of legislating is an expensive thing, and one reason why our sessions are so long and so little is effected is because there are too many members who have to be taught at the eX- pense of the State how to conduct themselves in the transaction of bus mess, and how to keep out of the way of members who do know how to dispatch business. Each member elect, if he is not already yersed in parliamentary rules, owes it to his constituency to at once provide him self with the manual of rules and make himself thoroughly acquainted with it, so that he can act in an in telligent and businesslik manner when he takes his seat. What can be expected of a member who never knows when to speak, how to speak, or what to speak about? And what can be expected of member who does not know how to draft bill, when to present it, or how to work it through2 To fill seat in 8 legis- lative body honorably and usefully, involves thorough preparation, al though, judging from a half hours observation at the proceedings of our average legislature, such an idea of preparation never once enters the heads of many members.

 There is not business enough about our legislatures. If all mem- bers were prepared to dispatch busi- ness in proper form and shape, a session of forty days would witness the dispatch of more business than is ordinarily done at Q four months session.

 Let all new members go to work and prepare themselves to be useful members this winter, instead of being mere clogs.

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 LEVEING COUNTY TAXES.