Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-24
The Senate CIerkshIn Bill.

Editor Morning Meas: Permit me to
correct al erroneous impression con-
veyed in your editorial comments Of
Friday Goth inst.) on Senator Browns
bill providing that each Senator, not a
Chairman of committee, shall be al
lowed a clerk.
You say, ''since the seeker
after pensions, or information on the
subject of pensions. would receive as
much consideration, and his communi-
cation be as speedily attended to if he
wrote las he should do) direct to the
pension Office, instead of seeking the in
PREVENTION of a member of Congress.
Such was the theory and the practice
before the war. But since the war the
theory only remains. The practice has
been swallowed in some Offices by the
immense amount of business now to be
gone through, and-I say it with re-
luctance-the cOrruptlons engendered
by the demoraliZatiOns of the war |
am not what is generally known as a
claim agent, but am frequently called
upon for advice and assistance by claim
ants who have waited until almost
u6dIl 6lCh III lGDllCS HUH SUUlC VI tllC
departments to their communications
Recently an applicant for certified
copy of his discharge from military
service (the original LOST, after waiting
for over year for a reply to his request,
came to me for help. Knowing the rou-
tine and department business by per
sonal experience, l soon found the bu
reau in which was the DELAY. I address
ed letter to it directly. Receiving no
answer in due time, / invoked Senator
Browns assistance In four weeks my
client had what he asked for.
Now, it is natural and proper that the
intervention of member Of Congress
should have particular weight with the
departments 1t has always been so
since the organization of the govern
ment Power will always tell. If a
member of Congress has none with the
functiOnaries of the national govern
ment he is of but little use to his
constituents. In fact, he does not
deserve to be IN Congress.
Always, within my memory of
public affairs, members Of Congress
have been called upon by their people to
look after their claims, of whatever ma
ture, in Washington city, and they have
often successfully and advantageously
stood between rights and the rapacity of
professional claim agents
1t must be borne in mind that mem
bers of Parliament in Great Britain.
representing privileged classes or par
ticular interests, are not paid by the
Government, as are our Congressman,
who are representatives of the people
of the whole people in the concrete, and
of their immediate constituents in the
abstract. They are in Congress to do
and to further the interests of the people
in the aggregate and IN the segregate, and
are justly entitled to compensation for
their services, and the necessary help to
discharge them Herein is the marked
distinction between the aristOcratic par
Humanitarian and the Democratic Repub-
lican Congressman, the servant of the
people Senator Brown is right, and
has the pluck to stand up for the right;
and, so far from public opinion being
against it, l think it doubtful. if the
grounds for the bill are properly placed
before the people and are rightly under
stood.
DEMOCRAT OF THE OLD SCHOOL.