Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-03-16
ApMchbur0 2'ir0lataW.
Monday Morning. March I6. 1897.


vbo are still doubtful "a to the capacity OF man
Gar se,f. covernment-who do not consider the
.,neriment made by the American people as en-.
tirely conclusive-who demand TOT 'ne soiu''on
of the problem a longer period and conditions
other than those of UNMARRIED prosperity and ma
terisl progress. we fear the scenes yearly pre-
.ented bv theCongress of the United States. or
rather by the popular branch. are not calculated
to remove their scepticism. 1t cannot be denied
that the House of Representatives is every year
becoming more and more incompetent to dis
charge the duties allotted to IT by the constltu-
ton. Whether this proceeds from the character
of the men chosen-from the nature OF the rules
Of order-or from some inherent defect IN the
very system of representative government-the
effec, is the same. The public business is not
aone-,ime is soaandered in idle. or worse than
idle debate-the most important bills for the sup
port of government are delayed un'l 'ne 'as'
,nomen,s Of the session. and then passed, from
the very necessity of the case. IN the greatest
hurry and confu sion, carrying with them amend
ments which would never have received the as
sent of either House as independent bills, but ad-
opted rather than leopard the appropriations. The
last days of every Congress. nay of every ses-
sion, witness the loss of bills. both of II public
and private nature. which, could vote be OBJ
tanned, would command decided majorites--bu:
which, under some stupid rule. small and fac-
tious minority may prevent being put on their
massage. Ii is in these last moments of the
House, when all is confusion that the personal
address, or effrontery, of leading members car
ries though favorite measures. 1t not unfre-
auently happens that no one but the Speaker and
Clerk really know what bills have actually pass
ed The majority of IN, mbers depend upon the
newspapers of the ensuing morning to learn what
the House passed and what was strangled.
The evil is yearly increasing and requires re-
dress. That redress is mainly in the hands OF the
people But we are not confident thu, the PEG.
ple are yet awakened to just sense OF the dan
ger TO our institutions, involved in proceedings
which tend to bring the popular branch of the
government into disrepute. The vigilance OF the
people. in the earlier periods of our history. was
invoked upon the Executive Dcpnrlm'nt-and
by those who were not pandering TO their pr'Ju.
dices. 1t was the Executive against which the
warning voice raised. 1t was of the encrcaeh
ment--tbe power-the corruption of the Exeou-
tive, the people were taught 10 b. jealous, Now
We assert without the fear of contradiction, TINT
the Executive branch of the government has been
substantially free from the suspicion of corrup-
ton. md that in the main il has done It's duty
faithfully and performed the part assigned to it
BY the constitution. Patronage and the growth
of the country have mnde it more powerful than
{ he advocates of the strongest Executive IN the
convention ever dreamed Of. Patronage has, Of
course been distributed for party ends and 10
strengthen the administration. This is done in
all countries. whether despoiic or constitutional
But no Presdent-no Seoretary-hos incurred
the suspicion of having an itching palm. We
repeat it, the Executive Department Of the United
States, from the days of Washington to the
present moment, has been above suspicion, so
far MS corruption is concerned aud has perform
ed its allotted functions.
Can we say this of the House Of Representa-
tivesl We have shown that it fails to do its
duty-that it is an abuse of terms to call it de-
Lucrative assembly -and that the country ond
divdual. suffer from its iaehes. Is its purity
above suspioion Let the events of the last few
weeks answer the question.
We have iniimnted doub, whether the peo
Pile themselves Just would or could apply a
corrective TO evils Which every patriot mast de-
plore. This doubt is strengthened by the lit
tie sensbity manifested at the passage, last
summer. of the act. making members of Con
gress saaried functionnries Forty years ago
similar act was passed, fixing the pay at
$500 per annum-just one half of that with
which members now compensate their services.
A storm of Indignation raised all the
country. The principle was denounced. Mem
bers who had voed for it either re,rac,ed or
were defeated. Even Henry Clay had to take
the stump. apologize for his support of the ob-
noxious measure, aud promise to vote for its i'm
mediate repeal. The act was repealed by the
next Congress, aud the per diem of members fix
ed at eight dollars Now the present act is bas
ed on the same obnoxious principle, which ono,
stirred up the American people from Maine tC
Georgia and moreover it has a feature which
its predecessor had noi;--a feature which SAVIOR.
strongly of corruption. Ii was made retro active
in its operation. Members voted Il nj their saa
ry should begin frcm the ith Marol, 1853. Fol
ourselves we would as soon sote for the re cleo
tion of one of the members recently expelled
from the House, as for any one who gave his
support Ia so Infamous measure. And yet the
passage of tbs act scarcely elected an indignan,
comment from the pref |, may be said that i,
happened in the mid,t of the excitement of the
Presidential election and was therefore unnotc
ed, like the earthquake which took place during
the battle of T'hrasymine. The excuse itself i.
ominous. We believe the period chosen II,
that which afoi ded the best hope of the ouiragt
being done with impunty. The canvass of 1856