The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1883-03-03


liberties are to long survive there must be
radical changes both in the character OF our
government and the qualities OF our repre-
sentative men. The legitimate objects OF
government, pure and simple, must alone be
sought so that there may be no pretexts for
strife, and it must cease to be looked upon as
a means and not an end. So long as the
people expect from it advantages to them
selves which should, and only can, depend
upon their virtue and industry, so long as it is
sought to be made means of support to the
individual, and a means of prosperity to the
mass, so long will it fail in the objects for
which free..government is to be desired, and
in the security to the universal freedom which
it is meant to afford.
The simple faith which the fathers had in
public liberty, and the simple methods of
government which they prescribed, can alone
avail US when the crowding millions, which a
few more years will bring, jostle each other in
the great centres of the nation, and shall de-
mand that the governing principles be wei
defined and their enforcement without confu-
sion or mistake. The simple objects of
government are the protection OF life,
liberty and property, the methods
solely by general laws. Two-thirds of
the legislation now in vogue must be
dispensed with, all partial laws forsworn.
Not one statute should find place among
our laws that will not operate equally and i'm
partially upon all classes and individuals or
rather that will operate upon classes and in
dividuas at all. 1t is an error, a short
sighted and vicious error, to depart from this
eternal principle Of equal and exact Justice
with the vain hope of partial benefits, which
with the gamblers passionate eagerness each
will expect to share, till one common ruin
overwhelms all.
We have not space to discuss the great
questions to which these reflections point.
But reforms that are at our door. and deserve
attention, may be indicated. 1t should be the
duty of every exemplary mind,
Of every patriot, in and out of Congress, to
break down the despotism of party and give
dignity to our legislative bodies. Let this pur-
pose be pursued both in the choice of our
public servants and in the manner OF choosing
hem. The House of Representatives is too
body. 1t was an error, upon the
returns of the Census bureau three years ago,
o increase the number of Represe natives in
stead of charging the basis of representation
md reducing it. This error cannot be COR
'ected till another census, but thoughtful men
everywhere may make note of it and keep
themselves armed with that intent A body of
100, or at most $50, members, even if poll
icians such as now infest that House, would be
ar more efficient and their un fitness less
dangerous to the public safety. But just in the
measure of such reduction in numbers will the
quality of that body be improved. Brawling
politicians, time-serving, avariciouS and
will cease to be thought of for
Congress or to expect congressional honors.
With 100 or even $50 members we should
have body of statesmen that would do honor
to the American name and bring security and
stability to the Government, and who would
be rarely distracted by the presence of a mere
politician.
The vicious habit of men of every calling
and men of no calling of looking to legislation
for benefits, class or individual, emasculates
patriotism and precipitates upon the country
the disingenious politician with the vampire
dogging his heels known as the lobbyist. It
these who convert Congress into tribunal
for the dispensation of triling personal ben
e6ts to the exclusion of public measures of
vast importance, who expend millions of
money in adjudicating demands the aggregate
of which do not amount to a hundredth part
of such cost and which could be treated
with far more justice by COM
petent magistrates, and always with little and,
when not just, without cost. This is the injuri-
Gus work of the Congressional "private cslen-
dar" which members will not abolish because
they are politicians and not statesmen, be-
cause they have no capacity for dealing with
questions that constitute the proper work Of
Congress and derive all their importance from
til cir efficiency in perverting its just ends by
means of such calender, from dispensing pri-
vate benefits to private persons, their constit-
uents; members who, if that body were
reformed into statesmen, would be of
no more use than so many Chinese mandarinS