Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-11-19
Congress-.

expected that party out of power will Sc
e little to praise in the legislation of Congress
: controlled by its political opponents, while
o the press and individual members of The
dominant party ought to be plain-spoken IL
= condemning every wrong done or suffered by
their representatives. Between these cross
fires of criticism Congress often gets into a
very hot place, and possibly the people are
sometimes led to think it useless body, or,
something good deal worse, thoroughly
demoralized and corrupt set of politicians
who are only intent on serving themselves
and getting rich at the expense of the public
treasury. As Congress, however, is likely
to remain, for the present at least, as the leg
islatve branch of the government and will
continue to have the same constitutional
power for mischief that it has possessed or
now possesses, it is of less consequence to
inquire whether it has deserved all that has
been said in its dispraise, than to consider
how it may be made wise, honest and states
manlike.
Both Houses Of Congress are representa-
tive bodies in theory, and, which is good
deal more to the purpose of this discussion,
| in practice also. The member of either
House who is not, on the whole in substan-
tial accord with the majority of his constitu-
ents on both public and private legislation.
Is the very rare exception. But this repre-
sentation is not confined alone to political
questions. The morals and the honesty of
constituency are, as rule, reproduced at
Washington, except so far as a representa-
tive may have the appearance and reputation
of virtues which he does not possess, or may
have suddenly blossOmed into corrupt pub
lie life. Cakes Ames' constituents in Mas
sachusetts knew him, and welcomed him
home with entertainment after the Credit
Mobiller Investigations of last winter Gen
Butler has been made the target of a great
deal of criticism, but his constituents evil
IDENTIFY approve of his public career, and he
came near being nominated for governor of
Massachusetts recently. James Brooks Of
New York City was always strong and pop
ular in his district. John a. Bingham, of
Ohio, who took Credit Mobllier stock and
never saw anything wrong in the transaction,
has been bonored by the President with
foreign mission. What is true in these cases
of the confidence usually existing between
the people and their representatives, is all
the more true as respects political and fnan-
cial questions
An illustration of this can he found almost
every day by looking at the files of current
newspapers. One day last week the follow
ing paragraphs appeared in some papers
publican paper, in discussing the financial
situation, said;
% The Government cannot do much for it |
will be a month or two before Congress can
get at work, and if the past is any indication |
of the future. the members will even then |
be quite as likely to bungle as to improv
the financial situation
Another paper says:
- 1t is keeping good way within the
limits of the exact truth to ~ that major
ity of the gentlemen elected to the Forty
third Congress have never injured their
health by sitting up nights to study political
economy. For many of them, competitive |
examination in the rudiments of that dry but |
somewhat important science would have its
terrOrs.''
The same paper. however, IN fairness adds
"Unluckily, large percentage of the con-
and good many of the journals
to which both congressman and constituent
oia 1OnJy fNr i,,fO 10, ohs
subjects, are in the same boat Judge kel-
ley, Gen. Butler and the lesser lights of the
paper-money persuasion are not merely
counting upon this ignorance but cultivating
it with an assiduity that perhaps is not gen.
orally suspected"
And it has this other paragraph:
"And yet we learn from shrewd politicians
who are continually feeling the public pulse
and purse, that currency expansion in some
form is inevitable. They perfectly agree
with US in the opinion that it would be dis.
astrous, but they say that the people demand |
1t, and that the people must and will be
obeyed. They assert that pressure will be
made on Congress in its approaching session
which no member, DESTROYS of reelection, can
dare to resist.
" Still we think that this pressure will be |
manfully resisted by many Congressman who
have brains as well as integrity; and we
doubt if the people are SO earnest for
SO watering the currency as these politi-
clans assert. Persons, when they are tinan-
cially embarrassed, are apt to say wild things |
and to propose wild measures
These are fair illustrations both OF the |
criticisms upon Congress and the occasion
for the criticisms. To illustrate still further
The majority of those who voted for the in
crease of salaries did no violence to the judg-
ment of their immediate constituents. The
southern representatives and senators were |
almost solid in its support, and their con-
stitutents do not complain. Some of the
northwestern members undoubtedly mistook |
the temper of their people at home, but it is
now said that they propose to put themselves
once more in accord with their constituencies |
by voting for repeal. Gen. Banks was
prominent in his advocacy of the salary in
crease and took his back pay, and he has
just been enthusiastically elected to the Mas
sachusetts senate, over a regular Republican
candidate in strong Republican district.
These instances prove nothing in favor of
members of Congress; but they do show
that, as whole, Congress fairly represents
the average intelligence and the average hon.
esty Of the majority of the voters of the
country.
The moral to be drawn from these facts is
tolerably obvious. A reformed Congress
will only come through a reformed people.
Each state has the opportunity, at fixed pc
United States Senate E CHI district can,
every two years, reform its representation in
the House. The whole people have the right,
once in four years, to reform the executive
denartment The constituencies that want