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Show H The State H Governments. The first half of Jnnuary Is a per- iod when most of tho states this year fl are inaugurating now admlnlstra- H tlons. If but a fraction of the wls- fl (loin that Is bolng handed out In H , gubernatorial messages nnd leglslat- Ivo addresses could be realized In B law and social practice, our states would mako a long step townrd H Yet it is generally admitted that H as a whole tho Btato governments are a weak part of the American system. In many of the legislatures H thero are largo purchasable elements. H In others the members have bo llt- eH tie strength of character or Indlvid- MH uallty that they aro swayed by tho IH first breath of threat. To them H J their re-election Is tho one vital H thing. They will support anything H that helps toward that end. Yet the "people who criticise tho H legislatures most severely are often H the ones who won't do any public H work themselves. Able business and B professional men who spend their H whole lives in dollar chasing and H have no time for civic work, aro H not In a position to criticise. H Tho situation would bo helped It H our citizens took a keener interest H In tho work of their legislators. The H public should watch how their repre- H scntatlves vote. Where they lino up on tho sldo contrary to public in- H tcrest and social morality, they should hear from tho homo district. 1 A few letters from Indignant con- H stituents have a mighty stimulating ' effect on weak backbones. H Tho extent of public interest in legislative work Is pretty well meaa- H ured by the spaco given by tho nows- H papers to legislative doings. Many H or tho editors say tho public takes H so littlo interest in Its legislature H that It does not pay to glvo much H spaco to it. That Indicates n lack H of Interest on the part of our cltl- H zenshlp. Tho doings of tho leglsla- H turo should bo followed with such H attention that tho nowspaper men H would find It tho best feature In their H journals. Under that kind of scru- H tiny, a lot of dark lantern work H would becomo impossible. |