The Portland daily press., 1884-08-02
CONGRESSMAN REED.
Some Interesting Opinions ON Topics of
Public Interest.

rather cheap Tor the next four months. But
these matters which we have been discussing
should be very glad to give you my ideas
about. There is one thing which surprises me
very much in the conduct Of American news
papers, and that is, that there is no adequate
account, day by day, of
THE DoNGs OF CONGRESS.
1t is absolutely impossible for any one to
read in the newspapers the history of the work
which is going on there. There is no file Of
newspapers in which there can be traced the
action of the legislative body of the United
States upon any given subject, and the situa-
ton in that regard seems to be growing worse
rather than better. For a number of years
the metropolitan newspapers have not given
their readers regularly even the account
furnished by the Associated Press. There has
been substituted very often for that account
the notices which special correspondents give
of special matters occurring in the House and
Senate. 1t seems very strange to me that
there is not published regular condensation
each day of what is done and said there. The
Record, which gives q full account Of every
thing that is said, and much beside, is of itself
so nnwieldy that it is exceedingly difficult to
find any fact there because it is so overVhelm-
ed by report of what is said. This difficulty
arising from the size of the Record seems to
be increasing. Twenty years ago the report of
the long session of Congress, incl uding the APP
pendix, comprised only about 5000 pages. This
was an immense mass, being equivalent to
perhaps four to six times that number Of pages
of ordinary book size. But the first session OF
this Congress- will undoubtedly comprise more
than 5000 pages of the same size. The prospect
is that every decade the plumber of members
of Congress " i'll increase, and, with them the
n "a
Record. As an example of the difficulty of
getting at any fact connected with Congress
sional history in the Record might be instanced
the debate which took place on the demone-
tization of silver. Most everybody reco llects
that there was a furious cutlery against the
characterization, and that it was done without
discussion, whereas there was buried in the
Record discussion covering quite number
of pages, and participated in by the most
eminent men of the country, and yet that fact
did not get before the country until after the
denunciati0ns had been going on for two or
three years. 1t seems to me that the publica.
ton of the Record prevents such an account of
the doings of Congress as the com munitv
oDght to be in possession of. II there we're no
other way of obtaining this account, the en-
terprise and rivalry of the newspapers would
certainly furnish it, but the fact that verba-
tim record Is kept all the time prevents the
newspapers from giving such an account as
they naturally would do. The remedy would
seem to be the abolition of the Record and the
trusting to the natural demand of the public
for such information as they really ought to
have"
THE LABoRs IMPOSED UPON a CONGRESSMAN.
81 think" continued Mr. Reed, "the COM
munity have but little idea of the extent of
the work which is performed by a congress
man for his constituents outside of the actual
duties Of his Office. Most people have an idea
that congressman goes to his work about II
O'clock and arises from it at 30 to 5, and that
this constitutes his days work. But that SEES
sion Of four Or five hours implies necessarily a
great deal of work connected with the public
business outside. II he has to vots or to speak
upon an i'm portant public question, of course
he has to give the necessary preparation to it
in order to understand it and to speak intelli-
gently about it. In addition to that he has
his committee work, which commences at 8 80
or 10 in tae morning twice week or more
until the beginning of the session of Congress.
This work of itself in the sessions OF the
House and in the sessions of the committees
with the necessary study and preparation,
would really absorb all the time which a man
would have at his disposal for work during the
"a hours, If faithfully and fully attended to.
This might be called the legitimate work of a
member of Congress, but in addition to that,
there is an amount OF extra duty of which the
community has but very little idea. In every
district in the United States, there are about
100000 people who are repr ented, 80 600 or
more OF whom are voters aId certain per-
centage OF these every day have some business
which they desire done or some information
which they desire to procure from Washing
ton. 1t naturally occurs to them to write to
their member of Congress, and accordingly
correspondence reaches him upon all sabiects,
asking him to do all sorts of work and to fur
nish all kinds of information. Among the
work that is involved in this correspondence is
what is called
WORK AT DEPARTMENTS.
For instance, merchant may desire infor-
maticn as to duties paid, or to be paid, under
certain circumstances. A visit to the treasury
department has to be made in regard to that.
II there be any complaint as to the lights on
his coast the lighthouse board has to be con.
suited as to that. Ali new post offices which
are created-and all mail routes have to receive
his attention. To him the constituent looks to
see hat his views are adequately and fully pre-
sented to the department on all these subjects.
Western members have an almost overwhelm-
ing correspondence as to land matters. Their
visits TO the office are neither few nor far be-
tween. Without going further into particulars
you can easily see that in every department
theta are many subjects in regard to which
the people OF the district are very deeply in.
terested, and wherein they expect their men,
bers OF Congress to present their views and OBJ
tain for them such advantages as
FAIRLY BELONG TO THEM.
Now, it so happens that Washington is
built in such a manner as to increase the labor
actually required. The department buildings
are in different parts of the city, widely separ.
ated from each other. II they were close t,
gether, the work of representative might be
very much abridged, but, as it is, it is very
much prolonged OF late years there ha.
been added a very large amount of work sris.
ing from pension cases in which it becomes
necessary either to write letters or to make
personal inquiries in regard to the condition Of
cases, and 10 aid pensioners in every way thai
is possible, BY advice aud suggestions The
amount of physical exertion involved in these
matters is very great. There are great many
other matters which are hardly of i'm portanct
enough to mention 10 detail, but which, new
ertheless, take time out of all proportioa to
their importance. 1t is hardly any wonder
under such circumstances, that the Senate ha,
provided its members with clerks SO as to re
lieve them OF large portion of this burden
and, If the people thoroughly understood tbs
amount of labor which is so imposed, they
probably would very gladly acquiesce in such
method OF relief for the members of the
House.
HERvING THE PUBLIC.
The labors of which have just given you
an idea are those which are imposed upon all
members OF Congress, and arise out of the
wants Of their constituencies. These duties
have to be attended to by new members a,
well az old. As far as the old members ar:
concerned, their public duties ordinarily in
crease as their regulations increase. The peo
pie all over the United States apply to men o
nat'OTal reputation to attend to such classe,
OF business as they seem to have given special
attention to. Judge Kelley, for example, i
naturally the centre of much correspondence
on the tariff, as would also be Mr.. Russell il
all matters pertaining to that subject in New
England. My colleague, Mr.. Dingley, would
be consulted as to the shipping question, anC
Others on other subjects. Mr.. Blair has to an.
s~er questions about his zlabor investigation
from people in every State and territory.
SHOULD CUR CABINET MINISTER'S HAVE SEAT
IN THE HOUSE?
There has been more or less said, Mr.. Reed
as to the pro priety of having members of tn,
Cabinet come upon the floor of the House il
order to present their views upon the varou
public questions, in order to connect the ex
ecutiVe departments more clearly with the
legislative"
THAT matter has been very much discussed
but it seems to me under one system of gov
eminent it would be entirely impracticsble
The only way of using the English system