The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-06-18

The FIRST session of the forty-sixth
Congress, just closed, has been I'M
important. Nothing has been done
that will rot soon be forgotten. No
laws of general interest have been
created. and no measures adopted
that will mark the session. About
ell that has been done was the pas
sage Of the necessary appropriation
bills. These might ali have been passed
the first month OF the session, haG
proper diligence been manifested.
Six months have been practically
wasted. The time has been taken
up in political debates. and the dis
cussion of party questions; ana this
being a presidential year, and the
contest fer the next presidency very
close, the speakers have usually
been exceedingly careful in theii
utterauces. Apparently - neither
party dared so upon the record with
anything that could be used against
it in the campaign. With
two or three exceptions the speeches
have lacked the bcldness. tue man.
liness Gnd The independence that will
be noted 10 the session nexs wiEter,
when the presidential election will
have been held. and the Individual
representatives will know whether or
net they are TO have tgO years more
OF congressional life. It is not 10 the
credit Of the members OF the two
houses that the national legislatare
has been so degraded into a great |
machine Tor making presidents aud |
rejecting its own members, while !
the legitimate duties o. the institution
are neglected. There Is room for vast
improvement IN our law making
methods, and much needed legis!a-
ton as well. The revenue, the tariff.
the land, the mining. the financial
laws, as well as those relating to the
modes ard manner of administering
the present statutes, are sadly in want
OF amendment and improvement.
Many Of the improvements are such as
either party, without doing violence
TO its principles, could readily sane.
ton. But both sesm afraid to DO !
anything, legt their action might +
result in injury 70 the party. The l
must suffer because OF this
ack of courage, this political CO :
Sardice, which conhols and governs t
he actions of too many modern con.
.reesmen. It does not look as if there L
you'd be a change in the way of !,
LONG things. Instead OF getting bet =
er i is growing worse. The tendency Il
oWards demsgo,y Is perceptib!e in c
Pretty nearly all, whsiher statesmen .
r simply politicians. Vita ninety Y
line per cent. Of tae congressman
eli is more to them than the country G
an ever become. Their reelection is s.
+ deeper interest to them than the n
assage Of the best bill that could be e,
FAMED. This unpleasant charao- l
sristic is confined to no party, green !,
aokers, woFkingmeu, republicans +,
nd democrats being alike afflicted 81
nd controlled by It. We wonder tn
lat some oo1gressmen, when they OF
sturn after spending seven months r.
I the year in doing nothing, do no. O.
leak into their homes and hide FRI
ON lheir constituents. Il IS ap- IN
aren't to every body that some change "a
the conduct of Congress should be IN
augurated, but how it can be Il
ought about is what puzzles all. 81
le politicians have the people at ~ n.
cir mercy, and so long as this coz th
lues no improvement need be ex- hi
cled. We ma7 Look fog Congress 20
90 ahead spending half the yesr "a
king party politics and doing as an
lie of the real work for which the ais
smbers we're elected as possible. me-