The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-12-24
coNGRESS. REEoRM rHYsELE

CONGRESS-, REFORM IHlSELf'
Performances like that Of last week 60 far
to destroy whatever lingering respect might
exist in the public mind for Congress, and
especially the House Of Representatives.
Resting under popular vote Of censure,
burdcned with rush Of grave duties, starry
ing claimants knocking at the doors, the
country laboring under war taxation and
the boarding Of Treasury reserves, the House
first dcvotcs one important day to trivial
debate and q vote not to adjourn over the
holidays and then another day to farcical
excuses" and finally stultifes itself by
voting to take the long recess after all. A
party of school boys disputing whether to
play truant in the absence OF the master
would display greater dignity and
corncstness than this body of grown men and
chosen legislators, who vote themselves s. 600
wear for duties which they never ade.
quately perform. If some of the other
employees ot the Government, paid much
smaller wages, should dishonesty fritter
away their time and vote themselves holi-
u
he from these same sapient and economical
Legislators, what investigations, impeach-
ments aud discharges. Congress has always
bcen sadly remiss in applying to itself
those rules which it applies to others under
its control.
There would at least be something admir-
able in dignity and courage that deied
public opinion and voted the holiday recess
as il nothing had happened last November.
But the spirit which first flourishes bun
combe resolution against absentees and then
wakes desperate as the time grows near, and
resolves to steal a vacation anyhow, is
exactly ON par with that which some years
ago snatched salary grab " on the sly
and then crawled back with hang-dog air to
restore it. What pitiable confession is it
that the American Congress is too weak and
purposeless to compel 4 quorum of its highly
paid members to attend its sessions in the
week between Christmas and New Years !
Nor is the argument of any weight that it
would he unfair to let the New York and
Philadelphia members 90 home to their
families and not give those from Ohio, New
England, ETC., chance to do likewise. On
this basis the recess should be long enough to
let the members from Texas and the Pacific
Slope go home and return, since their rights
are at least equal to any. 1t is impossible to
equalize the rights and the convenience OF
all. The public service is the only thing to
he considered.
There is at least this excuse for alb.
senteeism, and the consequent absurdly
short working sessions of the Federal Legis-
lature. Congressman have far too many out
side duties to perform to do justice to the
national affairs of fifty millions of people.
They are not only Office brokers and Depart.
mental attorneys each for an immense con
stituency, but, rs few of them expect tC
serve more than one or two terms, theil
first thought is necessarily for private bust
ness, their second or third for public duties
1t may become a serious question whether
the numbers of the House of Representatives
may not have to be increased nearer the
proportions of the British House of Com
lnbIS UT lnt TItlCl Nolp ItSiSldlli' =
few hundred ahsentees would not then leav,
it without quorum, and as for unwieldi
@ ness " it could not possibly he more un
wieldy than'it is at present. BY diminish
ing the constituency of the member anC
also his individual Importance it would re-
lieve him of much of his Departmental busi
ness, especially if taken in conjunction witt
a reform of the Civil Service. Finally, nj
one could deny that it would lead TO juste
representation of all classes in the commu
nifty, especially many large and importan
minorites. artfully governed now wlthou
their voice or consent by processes of gerry
Wandering and the like. National affair
are growing in Importance, both by natura
increase and by many eXtraneous processes
Congress should sit at least nine months i
every year, aud the time seems approachin
when it should sit all the year round, wit
holidays only at special seasons. If 50, 90
per annum cannot secure this amount of sci
vice, the country can well afford to pa
$4,000; but above all men must be electe
with enough conscience and self-cOntrol t
keep at work even when there is 10 supe
rior, under Heaven, to punish them for neg
lect and " emblegzlement OF time"