Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-25
The congressional Record.

The Congressional Record is a useful
publication. We would not try to do
without Il. The reports oil the PROCEEDINGS
OF Congress sent out by the Associated
Press cannot always be relied upon. NO
more can those OF the special correspond
erts Of the northern papers. The men who
make up these reports fail frequently
teper than otherwise, when nice questions
are up for disc,issiop--to comprehend tue
real merits OF the debates and the real
oucst,ons Of issue, and so subordinate mat
tiers Of importance to matters OF little or no
moment. They give poor argument,
and say not a word rs 10 the forcible argu.
mept. Again and again have we found
this 10 be the case--so often that we invari-
ably look 10 the record when we desire to
know " bat has been done or what has been
said in Congress.
The complaint OF Mr.. VEST and OF the
shallow New York editors. who know
every thing worth knowing. so they 1atter
themselves, Is that speeches appear In the
Record which were never delivered In
either house Of Congress. We do not JUS
tify this Justification OF the record. But,
after all. II is comparatively very small
fault. These speeches never appear In the
report Of the regular proceedings OF Con-
gr,ss, Lut are simply parts detached from
that report. in some instances, and expand
cd by the congressman, and in Others, are
speeches which. though never delivered in
Congress, would many OF them have been
delivered in that body IL the writers OF
them had not been accorded permission TO
print them in the Record. Every such
speech appears separately-neyer with the
reports Of the debates. The fact Is, there
fore. that so far rs votes THAT is, lists OF
yeas and nays, motions, bills, petitions,
laws, messages, and action upon the same,
are concerned. the Record Is absolutely
iaulilcss. So also as to pine.tentbs, not to
say ninety mine hundredths, Of the speeches
made In running dcbates-the extempora-
neous speeches. These appear just as de-
iiyered. The running debates-that is. ali
discussions worthy of the name are re-
ported accurately and fully.
Now. the evils proposed to be corrected
are only two. First, no speeches not de-
liyered, ought, il Is said, to be printed 10
the Record. But since the result would
inevitably be that the authors OF those
speeches would obstruct the business OF
Congress in order to get opportunities TO
deliver them and thus secure their inser.
lion in the Record, the remedy would pro-
baby be worse than the disease. The
second evil is that OF allowing members to
fill the Record with all manner Of trash Sc
lected from books. newspapers, and else
where, and printed as a part" Of their
speeches. This EVIL ought to be corrected
by all means. 1t is an abuse Of privilege
that calls for strong condemnation and i'm.
mediate determination. IL not stopped 1t
will destroy the value Of the Record.
Without the Record the debates in Con-
gress would be much less interesting. The
fact that the hot words Of to-day viii inial.
hbly appear in cold print tomorrow i'm
proves wonderfully the character Of the de.
bates In both houses. Above all, the people
may rect assured that Congress would long
ago have abolished the Record II it had been
only what silly correspondents and sillier
northern editors represent it as being.