The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-07-08
Reereant Servants or the state and
People.
lLltlle Rock Gazollc,l

The Houston Age having included
the Hon. Guy NJ, Bryan IN u ilippant
enumeration of congressional aspirants
in the Nth district, that gentleman
wishes 10 be understood Us explicitly
aud unqualliedly dlscaimlng such
aspiration. lie says he Il well content
10 serve out his term In the legislature
His first duty, he ooncelves, IN TO the
constituents who elected him TO that
body.
Colonel Bryan's Judgment and pre-
ference In this matter ARE worthy of de-
cided communication. There IL plenty
of room for public service In the legis-
lntlve halls at Austin. Nowhere does
the state more need the presence Of eX-
perienced, vlgilant and faithful public
servants than there. Colonel Bryan's
example might well be- omulated, The
post OF honor should always BIO thepost
of duty.
The above * from the Galveston
| News, of II recent date Colonel Bryan
IL speaker Of the house of representa-
tlves of Texas, and Is one Of the abest,
truest men in shat He represented
Texas In the federal and confederate
congresses, and this expressed prefer
ence to hold position IN the state leg
| islature above u seat In congress IL
eminently creditable TO him. II carries
us from these degederate days in which,
in many states, the Office of governor
Is used merely as q stepping-stone TO
| United States senate, and reminds us
of the time when men like John j.
Crittenden, of Kentucky, resigned seats
in the federal senate 70: the purpose Of
accepting the higher and more honora-
BILE position Of governor of u state.
According TO the theory of our gov
eminent, senators and representatives.
in congress are not officers of the fed
eral government at all, but are the rep
resentatiyes of the states and districts,
which send them TO Washington as SER
wants and agents TO take care of their
interests. They are In no sense federal
officers Even the senators In taking
part in the ratification Of treaties and
confirmation Of presidential appoint
ments act as the representatives of their
states, The proper sphere OF congress-
men in time of peace Is TO participate
in the enactment of laws which restrain
the federal government within due and
constitutional bounds, and disable il
from usurping authority not delegated
to it. When senators and representa-
tves of this state undertake, asSenators
Dorsey and Clayton, and mis'represen-
tatives Hynes, Snyder and Hodges have
lately done, 70 nullfy the existence Of
the very power that sent them to
Washington, by counting congressional
interference to that end, they forget
their duty as the servants of the people
and state and should be punished ac-
cordingly. Whether or not rightfully
or wrongfully, or upon sufficient occa-
sion, the congress Of the United States,
in admitting the state representation,
in 1868, expressly recognized the state
constitution, in which the people ut
present acquiesce, as republican in
form" and for state representatives to
attempt its destruction by congress
sional committee appointed like mil
litary commission for the very purpose,
is to act as if they were not part OF
the machinery of the understanding
Or falling with it--and such conduct
should be visited with the consequences
of treason to the state upon the offend
ing representatives and senators. 1t is
a pity that they cannot, II they can
not, be impeached as other state officers.
Nevertheless, there will be proceedings
equivalent to criminal trial at the
next state election, when verdict OF
guilty will be pronounced by the people
upon theirrecreant servants, and Others
selected in their stead TO take care OF
the interests of the people, who will be
true in their allegiance to the state
which honors them with the call tC
represent her in congress.