Morning journal and courier., 1883-07-06

tion upon Senator o. Fl. Plstt of Connecti
 cut for his strict probity in refusing a re-
 taining fee from the promoters of @ corpo.
 rate enterprise, that he might give his full l attention to his Senatorial duties It can | not be out of place in this, his own district, I to call attention to the nice honor of our
 Senatorial representative, but the Times per 1 tinentIy adds "Mr. Platt's rejection of a | fee directs attention to the practices of other Senators who are lawyers.
 Everyone knows that many Senators have l taken fees, and that some of the most prom | inent members of the present Senate are fre- | quently to be found arguing important rail- road cases and other cases in the Supreme court chamber while debates of the greatest importance are in progress in the chamber of the Senate"
 It would be difficult to overestimate the
 value of those newspapers which are at once
 conservative and outspoken as daily witnesses
 for truth and probity, but when attention is in a general way directed to questionable practices, something remains to be deter mined by following the pointing of the directive finger. Everyone knows of ques-
 tionable practices by representatives Of the
 government, and yet the knowledge is so ill defined that every Senator and Repre- sentative can hide under it's Taguensss as under Q mist, those of dubious practice as-
 sured that no ordinary peccadilloes will be
 severely noted, and those of the incest sense of honor discouraged by knowing that their care will generally pass for noth-
 ing along with the practices of their less
 discreet colleagues.
 Everyone knows, and yet who has such
 knowledge as may be depended upon for
 political guidance Who has collected and
 indexed the known facts of the practice of
 members of Congress so that the dim ra-
 diance of everyones knowledge may be con-
 centrated into definite light for the gui dance of electors, instead of being left, as 1t
 Is, mere phosphorescence capable of mak-
 ing darkness visible p Great good would
 be effected by comparative record of facts,
 under reputable auspices and aiming at the
 greatest practicable thoroughness. It would
 by it's very existence draw unto itself the
 testimony for it's continuance and would make it matter of emulation for sections to furnish the cleanest handed and purest rep resentation. The civil service reform asso- ciations have made some steps looking in this direction. A few months ago the Mas sachusetts Civil Service Reform League inau- gurated a plan for keeping R systematic record of the expressions of opinion and the action of each Massachusetts Congressman upon the civil service question and Mir. Josiah Quincy, seorstary of the league, ad- dressed a circular letter to the secretaries of all the civil service associations, asking them to consider the advisability of adopting the same course. Others have also agItated the maGtef, put IL f6nR1nS tO Do put AuLO pEdStlce ill an available and comprehensive manner. Meanwhile, respectfully ask the COURIER to give place for the following words from the pen of MT. Arthur Hobart, secretary of the Boston association, as fitting expression of the importance of the subject: ''Thers can be no doubt that systematic and accurate records of the sayings and doings of public men, the votes of legislators, the appoint ments and other important actions of execu- tive officers, so arranged, tabulated and in- dexed as to be easily and promptly accessi ble, would be a most valuable contribution to our system of popular government. The proposal of such an excellent means of as- sisting and promoting wise action at nominating conventions and at the polls can only be the fcrerun- ner of it's eventual adoption by some of. our political agencies-political associations, en- terprising newspapers or party committees. A considerable amount of clerical work is es sential, more than could be done gratuitous- ly. In a broad way, it would be a legitimate work for civil service associations. But, whether done by the associations as such or not, the results of such system would be of the greatest value to them in the completion of the great work now only just begun, the abolition of political patronage"
 STANFORD, Conn, July 4, 1883.