The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1878-02-23
DUTY or REPRESENTATIVES, 70 coz
STITuENTS.

DUTY OF REPRESENTATIVES, 10 CON
sTITuENTs. Ii
Mr.. Lamar's attitude toward the ,
legislature. and that of the
legislature TO him, brings up the ques,
lion OF representative responsibility, in
a very interesting shape and lesson of
very broad application may be drawn
from it, When the Mississippi legisls.
ture elected Mr.. Lamar to the senate.
the silver question WAS not An issue,
but by such election they expressed, in
the strongest possible way their conf.
denee in his Judgment and their re- |
lance upon his statesmanship upon
this, and all other questions likely to
come up for his decision in congress.
Both Mr.. Lamar and the legislature OF
has state derive their consideration and
Importance only from the people Mr.,
Lamar is 3 representative of one kind
and the Legislators OF another; the
same power spoke both into existence,
and can only in and Of itself make OF
unmake its creatures in the future
The silver bill WAS not an issue before
the people Of Mississippi when the leg
stature was chosen any more than it
was before the legislature when Mr..
/ Lamar was elected TO the senate.
/ We regret Mr. Lanar's course in vot>
ing against the bill We sincerely regret
that that great measure of simple Justice
IS not TO have his powerful support and
vote, but Mr.. Lamar is upon the floor
OF the senate as an entirely free agent,
or he is not there legally at all Ii
becomes the people of the states to
touch the free agency Of representative
in congress or the state legislatures
rarely. and most considerably when
they 10 find 1t necessary. II Mr.. Lamar
IL to he punished for his recusauce
there Is hut one power in either law OF
morals competent 10 deal with him, an,
that power the people who placed hin
where be is, and the time only when b.
comes before them again for their so
frages
When senator is chosen for sil
years, no people or legislature can 5,
forecast future complications and emer
4 gencies a. to demand the candidate
views and pledges, or can instruct apo
them in advance The Representative
is chosen because his public policy an
u private character are such as TO Undue
E the people to repose confidence an
= trust in him, They make him thei
y agent TOR the time for which he
chosen. All his acts are legal and bind
b ing upon his constituency until he
lmpeached or removed by his own peel
u on the ilOOr OF the senate While W
e have not the slightest doubt but in TIL
.e matter the resolution of the Mississippi
y legislature represents truly the sent
! ments OF the people. nay, further, NJ
II Lamar attitude misrepresents then
'e yet formal resolution such as this dos
h1RhEt shNAA F'haN'A VI
weAkens his force aud standing rs the
representatives, for the future. and impel
y lis other equally important questions
II which the people have a like interes
:" and does not the slightest good
a The voice of the people is omnipoter
10 at the ballot box but il is heresy
Re the vilest kind to say that it is, {
II should be- any where else fit wei
y not the mob and the rabble would 500
mount the throne Of Justice, eontr,
our courts, overawe our legislature
Ie and threaten even executive AUTHORITY
r When they (the people, have one
J, formally and legally spoken, their sci
u wants and themselves have only /
u obey.
y IN his defense Mr. Lamar light
'e touches upon ons of the erayest prof.
y lens OF our representative form of gov
- eminent, or rather one Of its most i'm
Al minent ,langers--he has dared 10 col
front the weight of public opinion i
his state Had he chosen to resort t
d cunning or the tricks of the demagogl
l. he could have been popular. and sc
: cured his reelection lie adheres I
/ principle and courts defeat rather tina
"a violate it. This is an exhibition q
g latent manhood very rare these day
o and should attract very general after
s ton and commentator even from thos
!, who differ from him ON the silver bill
g " Mr. Lamar has lost the confdene
9 OF his people, let them say so at til
next election il he has violated tn
laws, or neglected duty, or sold him
self to the antisilyer people, let him b
impeached The decision of the highe
court must not be Influenced by a reso
luton of the lower. If every man
woman and child in Mississippi is il
D favor Of BANDS bill. still Mr.. Lamar
absolute right to vote against it mus
not be questioned--it is this sort of in
dependence on the part of our repre-
sentatives which strongest guards tbs
liberties and interests of the people.
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