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Show MANIA FOR TOO MUCH LEGISLATION IS DEPLORED ST. PAUL, Feb. J3-Archblshop John Ireland, In an address at the Bona tJ the American Revolution celebration of Washington's birthday, spoke of the tewdeny toward overlegialatlon. - "It was the Intention of the fathers of the Republic that political liberty was to be the guardian and the protector of civil liberty," he said. "It was thought, and moat rightly so, that citizens being In a manner the lawmakers no laws would be enacted that would go beyond neceeaary limits In demanding reatrlc-Uona reatrlc-Uona of civil freedom. "We have too many laws; our Legislatures Legisla-tures are too anxious to increase the bulk of the atatute book. As things are tending tend-ing we shall soon have ao many laws that, wrapped around, aa It were, by aer- rled mall, we shall become prisoners, forbidden for-bidden to etlr or to walk. It certainly were so If tha bills coming year by year before the sessions of Congress or the various Leglalaturas were to be turned Into binding enactmenta. "The mania for legislation frejuently shelters Itself under the name of moral reform. Far from me to oppose prudent legislation In the betterment of morality. But far from roe, also, to approve the moral legislation which at beat promises no results to compensate an abridgment of public civil liberty; which assumes to cover the ground of morals that no room remains for the free-willed action of conscience con-science which by Its pettiness and nar-rowneaa nar-rowneaa annoya and Irritates and defeats, de-feats, rather than aaalata the very pur- pose It proposes as its correction." |