National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-07-20
QUALIFICATIONS OF CONGRESS
-. MEN

AS the tiIno Is al. hand for the selection
of candidates for the Forty fourth Congress,
perhaps a few words may be pardoned with
reference to the character of man that is
sure to be most useful as legislator. He
should be true and earnest Republican
patriot. He should be an intelligent and
industrious, practical man of business. He
need not be lawyer, preacher or doctor. 1t
is not essential that be be q speech-maker.
If he be well-read, Of good judgment, and
sound discretion, q free thinker-having
mind of his own-self-reliant, and noted
for strict attention to his own business, he
will be pretty sure to make useful, credit
able, and in time successful Representative
in Congress.
1t is not the takers whose names figure
most in the papers that are the most intiu-
entail in the halls of legislation. The men
who are always popping up to ask ques-
ton Of the chairman Of the committee, and
thus consuming the valuable time OF the
House, which the printed bills and reports
upon their desks fully answer and explain,
but which they are only too often too indo-
lent to read and examine, are the clogs OF
Legislation. And yet by this means they
cOntrive to keep their names before the
public and earn a reputation for vigilance to
which they are in no wise entitled. This
is the trick of loud-mouthed demagogues,
who desire to be heard for their much speak
ing. They seldom effect any important
change in a bill by this means, but often
precipitate a debate occupying scores OF
pages in the official record which involves
thousands of dollars in expenses of print
| ing.
The useful Representative informs him
self upon the subject in advance and St.
cures the modification of the bill quietly
in committee which his judgment recon-
mends. In the committee room he Is
power. The new member on the floor may
be pigmy and by the exposure of his ig-
norance bring disgrace both upon himself
and his constituency. The business of the
country, which Congress is expected to
transact, requires similar tact and industry
with that of the individual, town, county
. OF DElle. IL lC Lldu VIM - AAACAS+N S-S
inefficient at home; who is weak and easily
Influenced and controlled in his own affair!
or those entrusted to him by his clients, /!
totally unfit to be entrusted with those o
an enlightened constituency in Congress
He will be a cyphcr here in public life, o.
worse still, become the mere tool Of design
irg politicians and prostitute his position
and his vote to unworthy purposes.
LEGISLATORS, especially new ones, are to,
apt to incline greatly to special legislation
to ask for o new and especial act each TO
his own locality. As a result, the calends
at every session becomes crowded with bill
which can never be reached. At the las
session about three thousand bills were II
troduced into the House alone and reierre,
to the appropriate committees. Probabl
over twenty-five hundred Of them wer
never acted upon. Very much Of the lee
islation required could have been secure
by the enactment of well-digested generS
laws, each providing for all cases of a cel
tain class. But this kind Of legislatio
must be the work of comprehensive mind
It can only be accomplished by men of RAJ
: business qualifications. Petti6ogging Law
yers and country cross-road politicians an
specializing demagogues cannot effect 1t
:. is far above their comprehension. II
y chief end and aim which these have in vie
is to advance themselves step higher upc
the ladder of political fame. 80
: The rule, then, should be to send
a Congress your best men-men whom 70
a are willing to trust with your money ar
= your honor. Men of convictions and
d patriotism, of industry and of high MOI
~ courage should be sent here to represe
is your interests Send men Of strong pu
at pose, with courage to acknowledge it ev,
q, If they do wrong and of sufficient intel
lie gence to know when they do wrong. SUI
IN men are far preferable to the weak-kne
n demagogucs who allow themselves to
an entrapDed into the appearance of evil, a
oy then when caught like old Adam in I
81 glrden, plead guilty first By skulking a