The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-07-15

ADD100DuG0 11GPTY aDAT9.
, EASTWOOD Statesmen Making
! 1eooogos IN 0oa0ress.
/ He b talklag to biz eoa,slituents,"
ban s&psessjou very COMMONLY used
ID Est6esiag 10 CongFess,nea when
teey make laboVetl speeches to empty
benches OF to . house full OF noisy or
inattentive members. This thicg
has developed into . good deal CT
Nuisance, bat there seems to b no
help for Il. A "lelIow feelIng'' makes
CooGFessmen "woudrous kind" and
ths insulIerably tedious speech Of
come backwoods statesman = NJ
tieatly endured because biz purpose
b thoroaghly UNDERWOOD. The rule
which provides that . n:e,mber may,
b unanimous consent, obtain leave
to print biz remarks In the Rccord
without actual delivery has afforded
some relief, bat the average Con-
gressanan b too conscientious to make
ne of that expedient. He wants to
beable to say that he make q speech
to the House, although be generally
toFgets 10 ray under what circumstam-
eesit was made.
Not long ago . New York Con-
gresham spoke for over an hour.
but % indistlnctly that not even the
member In the seat besile him could
hear what he was saying, while in
the galleries not the faintest articu-
lation could be distinguished. 1t was
afterward discovered from the record
that he had spoken on . subject Of
importance only to the district which
be himself represented. That style
Of speaking b, Of course, more accep-
table to the unwilling listener than
the roaring and Ianting of other ora
tors, because the latter disturbs the
thoughts Of gentlemen who are writ
Ing Letters or peaceably s!u,nbesing
the hours away. The inaudible and
the t.'o audible speaken. however,
making what they call their record
- C'ongressn'en. and it would Le an
unsl'eakable cruelty to deprive them
Of their only OFT ortunities to shine
before their constituents.
It b fortunate circumstance that
the number Of those who are CONF
PEELED to holster up their record By
making speeches which tax the ~
thence Of the House and benefit no
Que hut themselves, b comparatively :
small. They are mainly confined to
those who are either ton dull or too
dihldent to take part In debate, or
who are unable to insure the m,.sage
Of any bill In which their cvnstitu-
ems are interested. In talking Of
this phase Of Congressional life,
member said: 1T Is natural enough,
under the existing state Of things,
that member should Ike anxious to
make good recorsl. His future wv
Iitical success or failure, especially II
he h young member, depends to a
great extent upon it, M those who
have sure thing Of rc-.lcctiun arc ~
scarce ~ white crows This is always
kept in mind, ami every act done
and word spoken Is designed for the
effect II will have upon the record" .
''What do you look upon MS gooxl
record In COnxre4~::'' I asked.
"Well, l think the member makes
the best record who works the most
faithfully In the committees to which,
he has been assigned. A mans sl,il-
lty manifests itself much more readi-
" there than In the House, and It
finds much wider scope. The men
who shine ~ debaters aud orators
are not In reality the most useful
either TO their constituents. Ere
quently their most brilliant hits arc
the result Of pointers furnished them
BY men who never attempt To al
dress the House ut al. Unfortunate
y the work u member does in u COM.
mtttee does not gO to his credit with
bis constituents. Their only means
u knowing what he has done Is what
appears In the newspapers or in the
congregational Record, and very little
u what h done In committee ever
'ees tue light through either Of these I
:l,anncls.'
''llut shouldn't members record
'e determined by his success in get
ing bills passed."
ITO c certain extent, yes; hut
hings have co'neto sucl, . pass that
he passage Of bills, particularly II 1t
&c Of local interest mainly, =,
or Of almost sheer luck. Suppose
'ou introduce hill ut the orening"f
lie session. The measure may liz
ust AMI proper, and Of great import. !.
ucc to your district. but It must take I
h chances among ten thousand 9TH
r bills. 1t may l'e sent toa commit
e. already overburlened with work, :.
nd the chances are that II will never '
ven b. considered. Ifhy persistent l
fort you induce tie committee To- !
nk into your Hill. the probability is .
hut It will be con,l'attcd ky some il
lember the interest al whose dist rict i
) opposed to those Of yours, and the !; :
finding that there Is a
ificrcnce ol opinion, will lay It aside
ndi.posctl Of.
'If YOU are fortunate and get q f;,-
rable report, the bill Is placed on the
and there 1t H. likely to re- n
.nf~> ns,r,, Hl,~~,,..l. "a L. A. I