Frontier and pioneer life -- Oregon; Frontier and pioneer life -- Washington (State)
The school system theretofore existing in the Territory, was radically
remodeled at this session of the Legislature. The bill as presented to
the committee was the work of a selected body of teachers. In a
legislative sense it was crude and in some of its provisions, intensely
radical. I, in fact, re-wrote the whole bill making its retained
provisions full and accurate--omitting surplus statements, and embodying
many new provisions. The bill thus remodeled passed the "Council" and
the "House," and its essential provisions remain the law of the State
today.
A few general observations may be allowable: Rare are the men who
possess in a high degree, constructive legislative ability. Every act of
legislation ought by clear and accurate provisions cover every element
of the subject matter stated in the title. As the act approaches this it
approaches perfection.
Any act of legislation laying the foundation of a system--such as the
school system and providing for its administration is a difficult task.
The human judgment is imperfect--and prescience is limited--hence any
approach to perfection in the system itself, or in its administrative
provisions, is a matter of evolution of slow growth--and of the survival
of the fittest. As time advances and light and knowledge increase, the
dead and useless branches are pruned off and the fit and vigorous remain
to blossom and bear fruit.
The effective and beneficial work of Delegate to Congress is in the
various departments of the Government, and in the various committees of
both houses of Congress. In a new country, rapidly filling up with
people, post-routes and post-offices must be provided. On the
established lines there is a constant and pushing demand for an increase
of service. When I was elected, the daily mail stopped at Tacoma, and
Seattle had only a weekly mail. One of my first efforts was to increase
this Seattle service to a daily mail. I had some difficulty in
accomplishing this object, because the postal authorities claimed that
the revenues of the Seattle office were not large enough to warrant such
increased service. I got it increased, however, to a daily service. I
had not so much difficulty in getting a daily service from Seattle to
Victoria and way-ports. Everybody on Puget Sound knows that Port
Discovery is about six miles west of Port Townsend. Port Discovery was a
milling town visited largely by foreign vessels and many American ships,
and a large volume of business was done there. There was a stage running
daily, from Port Townsend to Port Discovery and back, and it had only a
weekly service. I asked for a daily service, but it at first was
refused, and I notified the people interested of the result. A Mr.
Young, the manager of the Port Discovery Mills, stated to me in a letter
that, inasmuch as the Government was very poor and the people of Port
Discovery were rich, they, out of the abundance of their wealth, would
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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