New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-12-26
An EXAMPLE no COEGRESsHEN.


An EXAMPLE TO CONGRESSHEN'
Honest John Yane has been q man OF marx
since the fourth day of March last, il he never
was before. He has had to stand precious
deal of bombardtng and peting during the recess
which closed on the 1st of December. Big news
papers have rolled out their heavy guns and
Numbered at him; little papers have peppered
him; conventions have resolved at him, some
times picking him off from q snug shelter on a
committee or bowling him down just as he was
taking tho chair; oranges have called hun
thief and county conventions have branded
him as q liar: basket plcnics have spouted
and gossiped at him; and what with throw
ing Back Pay Credit Moblier, seat broker
age committee and lobby corruption at
this unhappy man, it is not to be
wondered at that his garments are discolored
with ugly stains and scented with OdOrs not
pleasing to honest and wholesome people. No
doubt honest John is as heartily tired of it as
any one else Even his thick skin may be
worn tender, and there must come to him oc-
casionally longing for the peaceful paths OF
virtuous politics. Once left they are hard to
reGnter, and he stands much in need OF an
example on which to model his official con-
duct. To show him one, We take him back to
times when political vices were less complex
than now, and point him out man who has
left on record some qualities and habits very
worthy of his imitation.
His name was Andrew MARVEL, English poet
and free thinker. He represented his town OF
Hull in Parliament for eighteen consecutive
years, beginning in 1860, and was o busy
and faithful member. Not only was he at
tentive to the interests of his constituents,
but he was so careful that they shpuld know
just what he was doing that he wrote TO the
Mayor of his town, for the information of his
people, series of letters detailing the work
of each day and the probabilities of the
morrow. If Congressional Globes and Records
had existed in that country and in that time,
this Jealous representative might have led an
easier life but no was so systematic and
earnest about it that he is said always to have
written before taking either sleep or refresh
ment. These letters are among the curlosl-
ties of politics. They are written in
the courtly style that was not too
tedious for our slow-moving ancestors, but
are candid, terse and pleasant. There
is shot through them here and there vein
of harmless fattery that procaims him the
politician, blunt and honest as he was. There
are visible, too the ceaseless watch or the
thrifty Byiton over the public funds, hearty
hatred Of taxes and jealous scanning oil the
expenditures There is refreshing fearless
ness about committing" himself that GER
tainly has not the flavor of the nineteenth
century in il at all. He never hesitates to
give his opinion on a pending measure In the
plainest terms, and it is to be doubted II ne
would have lodged into hat-room when the
vote was ordered, if there had been one to
dodge into. These letters give the freshest
news of official appointments, changes IN
place, royal marriages, and the light Cos
sip of the Parliament House, so that MARVEL
may probably be safely set down as the first
Parliamentary correspondent. The spelling Is
probably no queerer than that which has gone
out of our Capitol many time under frank
in days gone by. We hardly recommend our
Congressman to write more letters-they have
got into too plany scrapes in that way already (;
but if they wrote only such letters as they
would not be ashamed to see on the bulletin
ut home, and thus opened their public lives to
inspection, perhaps Honest John would not
have fallen so easy prey to Darius Dorman,
and the Great Subfuvial might not have num-
bered him among its retainers. But the list of
Marvell's virtues suffers by the length OF this
description. He was content with reasonable
compensation. He was one OF the last to re-
ceive wages from his constituents, who often
sent him "a barrel of ale as token of
" their regard" In one of his letters, he
rafora 70 ona Of fbpsa Drasepts "a so hOuntiful
that I" it might make sober men forgetful."
Imagine this worthy soul writing his chronicle
of the day, refreshing himself with the ale
grateful alike to his palate and to his heart
could the thought of back pay have entered
such mind so engaged But he was not
only passvely good he resisted temptation
He refused 81 900 and the promise of prefer
ment from NO less person than the King OF
England, though he was soon after compelled
to borrow guinea of friend, thus showing,
perhaps, the first sprout of O noted legislative
habit on this side of the water. He was
always an advocate of free principles. AS
there are always blemishes in the fairest pic
ture it must be recorded that he wrote
poetry; but as the critics are divided over it,
probably his verses were not without merit.
But this recapitulatiOn must already seem
long to those Members who have found the
newspapers lately such lively and unpleasant
reading. Some of them, however, might well
heed the lesson. They might be, as Maxwell
was, more earnest for the rights and interests
of their constituents than for their personal
profit They might give speedy and impartial
account of themselves to those who elected
them-a favor for which some districts that
could DO named seem to be rather anxious.
They might be content with Legitimate pay.
They might with considerable advantage OBJ