The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-03-13
Congressional Sloth.

mere, and it is difficult to see that
congress is any nearer an adjourn
lnent than it was the day the session
'pegan. Nota single one of the lead
'lhg appropriation bills have yet been
even reported to the House, and no
|aetion has been taken on the Marsh
aus appropriation bill. which failed to
pass the extra session. The special
excuse which is offered this session
lor this delay has been the necessity
|ofgevising the House rules. Their
epnsideration has Certainly taken
shsldeTable time, and if the new
~ u. j SI,). -, j ~ lss.ex 81
business, the time will perhaps have
peea well spent. But Congress has
low been in session three months,
aid not only las no legislation been
haS upon any of the many important
gerfral measures before it, but very
littleprogress has been made in COM
mitt&. Never before has March
foundkongressional business 50 Woe
fully beRind-hand as now. The policy
of do-nGhingism has been adopted
by both houses and by both parties,
and the question now is, when will
that policy be changed? The Dem
ocrats have a working majority in
both HOUSES. and are alone respon-
sible. They probably expect to gain
some political advantage by keeping
Congress inIsession until after the ma
tional nominating convention are
held, and perhaps intend to let the
Marshals Appropriation bill, and
probably SINE others, 60 by default
in case the Republican platform and
candidate are such as to make such
course polite. If such is the inten-
tion-and no other explanation of
the unprecedented delay is more
plausible-the Democratic leaders
have ticketed themselves for another
glorious extra session / lunder. Every
conservative, Ievelheaded Democrat
in and outof Congress last December
said sound partisan policy demanded
a short session, devoted strictly to
business. But the 9ourbons and
filibusters have again dictated the
course of congressional non-legisla-
ton, and a long session, and fruit
less one, is likely to be the result.
This is the case of this long drawn
elt session hut it is becoming more
ald more evident every year that it
isimpossible is for Congress to accomp-
lish anything within a reasonable
time. There are several reasons for
this. Large bodies move slowly. The
House is an extremely unwieldy
body, and will become much more
80 after the next congressional APP
pointment. Oyer 1000 bills have
been introduced during the past year,
and about l, 800 during this session.
The bulk of these are bills of a pri-
vate nature, and half a dozen c0nsti-
tuents a day, on an average, are buz
zing about each congressman's ears
in the interest ofsome private claim.
Then, there is the committee work,
the daily sessions, the debates, the
days news. politics. dinners, teas,
receptions. and numberless other
things to take congressman's atten-
ton. Under such circumstances, it
is idle to expect too much of con.
gressmen. The average congressman
is over fifty years old f; ought to be a
grandfather, if he isn't, and would
be much more nearly in his proper
sphere in a snug library at home
calmly enjoying his declining years
instead of being jostled about in the
political hurly-burly at the capital.
Again, most of them are lawyers,
who have spent years in pOstponing
and delaying cases, and have finally
reached the opinion that the only
way of accomplishing anything is by
putting it off. Congressmen are not
congressman simply. They are indi-
viduals, with individual interests;
and, however valuable their time
may be to the country as congress
men, it often happens that it is more
valuable to themselves as individu
ais, and they decline to sacrifice
themselves pro bono publico. In
deed, it Is well advertised fact that
many congressman are such simply
because Congress is the best place
they can find to sell goods, secure at
torneys' fees or otherwise help along
their private interests. Taking all
these circumstances into considera-
tion, it is evidently too much to ex-
pect Congress to convene, accomp-
lish its business in prompt and
business-like manner and 90 home.
The average congressman isnot made
of that kind of stuff. lie has too
many axes TO grind and is too self.
A 4.