6 minute read
Legislation
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STUDENT LIFE
.J. S. QUNNEY
The stat us of society is mea- sured, largely by its laws. The thought, words, feelings, and ambitions of society, and more especially of a people living under r~presentative form of government is, to a great ex- tent, embodied in its laws. We shou ld, therefore, endeavor to maintain the highest standard of laws possible. In order that this be accomplished we must r,e.e to it that the representatives who frame our statutes be the very best men in the commun- ity, for it is not reasonable to expect that any but good men will make good laws.
In Utah we are not serving legislat ion that entirely meets the needs of the state. There >1re two prime reasons for th is In the first place, many of the men we chose as our represent- atives are not the most capable among us, and in the second piace, part of our legislators do not maintain those high ideals that should accompany the re· sponsible position of law-making. It is generally ·known thilt among our legislators there are those that .could be replaced by more efficient men. Too often is it the case that we send men to
the state capita l who have no knowledge of economics, political science, sociology or history, ::di essential qualifications of a legislator. Just because a citi- zen is conscienious, diligent, vractical and well meaning, it does not follow, therefore, that he is fitted for the important task of legislation. These qualifications are absolutely essen- tia l, but he must also understand the lessons of past ex- perience. He must possess the pc,wer to probe into existing conditions, analyze, diagnose and if needs be, remedy them. He must have vision so that he can anticipate the future and made adequate provision for it. When a citizen can fulfill all these requisites, then first, should he be nominated for the Riate le.irislature.
But, even though a person possessed all these attributes and failed in that crucial test, the proper attitude toward his work, he shou ld never occupy a seat in the state legislative chamber. Wffat good is a legislator whose ideals are centered in "his personal welfare? He cannot act wisely or con- servat ively, for the state's
STUDENT LIFE
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good, because his personal in- ir, remedied we shall never en- terests come first. This is, per- joy the fullness of our possibilihaps, the most vital reason why ties. Until we make competent our state legislation has not men of the highest ideals our been eminently successful. The lawmakers, we are bound to avera ge legislator, all on fire ctrag along in the same old rut. with the results of a success- We need only turn to history ful campaign, enters the Legis- for examples to prove that Jature intent on having his legislation conceived in or built name go in the statute books upon incompetency or personal as the father of some bill. His Dmbition, is fore-doomed to measu re may be one with which failure. It can not succeed; for he is not acquainted, or one the base upon which it rests is which serves only one small unsound and will crumble. portio n of the state, to the ab- There are, on the other hand, solute detriment to the rest. It many instances of glowing sue- need not be a necessary bill, nor cesses founded on knowledge, yet a wise one. The main con- forethought and true purpose. cE:rn is that the bill go through Our problems are peculiar to with his nam e attached. Some Utah. It is well to borrow ''Lawmake rs," are more am- from other states if their bitious than others and intro- ~tatutes fit our conditions, but duce two, three, four or more it is more important that we bills, until the legislature has l1ave men in our legi slature more material on its hands who, when ready-made laws are than it can care for adequately. not on hand, can construct staA~ a result, bills are referred to lutes to exactly meet our th is or that committee- Some needs . There have been very are passed without even being few constructive states men in read - any haphazard way the Utah legislature to frame to get a.lJ business fin- luws for conditions found only ishEd and give each Jegis- in this state. No other type of lator a place on the stat ute man can successfully cope with books. Thus, are hundreds of our situation s. bills taken up, considered, over - How then , can we procure ruled; passed, or referred. ,,uch statesmen? What is the The best intere sts of the state remedy for existing evils? Just are, by these means, sacrifo , d. lhis, get better, bigger men to So long as such ideal s exist in ac.t as ln,rislators. This is not the legislature we can hope for detracting froJY1 our present nothing but a repetition of the legislators. Let them have what past. i~ theirs. But it is a well known
The cry for . sqqnd legisla- - <,fact -,that there are many tion, that ·truly represents us highly efficient men who have and our social status, has gone power to formulate better laws out. And well it might, for un- than we now have, who decline Jess our present reck~ess system all nominations, who refuse the
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state their active services and their action is not to be wondered at. Politics has been robbed of most of the honor which should be coupled with it. The masses fail to sense the honor conferred upon every man who is sent to represent them in the ~tate legislature, and not only that, but the legislator, as a person, is continually held up for base ridicule and slander . His good deeds are always hidden in the shadow of his slightest mistakes, th us casting odium on him as a man. Whole- some criticism that builds and remedies is to be encouraged but muckraking, vile dirty dander of a ma n's character because he is chosen as a legislator is deplorable .
Then, too the best men among us can not afford to drop their personal work and go to the state capita l for the paltry wage the legislators 1'eceive. If the state cannot afford to pay those -,who make our laws as much as they can earn at their regular occupations, we shall
have to be content with what we get. To make this position paying and honorable will se- cure us good legislators and subseq uently proper legislation.
It might be urged that our state L~gislators deserve all the per&onal abuse and the low wage they get under our present conditions. This might be true, but is it not possible that these factors are the cause of our present low standard of legislati1n ? If honor were substituted for slander, a just compensation for the present · stingy wa_ge, it is quite probable that the office of legislator would expand to fit the most worthy among us. The fault is not so much in our legislators as in us, the people, and our methods. If we reform our- selves, bring ourselves to a proper attitude toward legislation and legislators, the coveted re- s,ilts will follow. Then, first, shall we get real, constructive, honest legislation, a true mea- rnre of our feelings, ambitions, and thoughts.
