The sun., 1885-02-08
by /. oommI.sion Of skillsd mon

consideration By commission Of skilled mon.
whose offlclal life 10 apart from iA own.
though dependent for pcrpctuity on Its ap-
prevail" This radical difference In the methods
by which the business OF legislation gots itself
done under the two systems is traced out in de-
tail. and no candid person can rsvlsw the re-
suits Of the inquiry without admitting tho JUS.
tice OF many OF the deductions drawn from
thsm. however, unwecoms they may be to our
national complacsncy. Nor will any careful
student OF our political history who contrasts
the keen attention originally given to
Congressional debatos with the present
proiound Indifference, fast tending to con.
tempt. with which Congressional discussions
md procoedings are now regarded, dispute the
correctness OF ascriblng the change not merely
or chiefly to tho ovorshadowing influence OF
the rival organ OF public opinion tho nawspa.
per press. but primarily and mainly to the
accidental anomalous. and inordinAte ievel-
opmont OF the committee system. This sys-
tenn. like = rnischiovous aud monstrous ex-
cresconco on the Legislative body. has absorbed
oil its sap monopolizel its vital energies.
abridged its usefulness. and sacrificed IS dig
nifty II wo look sharply at the matter. We must
recognize with Mr. Wilson that 1t 10 not Congress.
but It's parasitical out9rowth. tho commit
tee system. which tho peopls OF this country
have learned to distrust. II not despise. and
that some practicable substitute for this dis
credited mothod Of transactinE public business
must be discovered and applied. II our national
legislature Is to regain the place In public con-
hdence. esteom. and studious attention which
II once unduestionably enjoyed md which the
British and French parlinments challenge with
undlmmod success. Our predicament. ouri-
ousy enough. has como to bo tho converse OF
that In which Mr.. Lowe declared that England
had been plunged by the Disraeli Reform act.
That law. he said. made it imperative for Eng
land to educate her masters. In our own case.
on the contrary. the dsplorabla efacts OF the
COMMITTEES system have made 1t An urgent duty
to reeducate our public servants.
OF course tho answer to this critc!sm is that
the committee system 10 not . deliberate at
tachment. but an involuntary growth. called
forth bya keen-felt want, an e1pedient con-
trived 10 meet a practical necessity, = pieco OF
labor- saving machinery. defectivs. no doubt.
but shown by experience to be eminsntly con:
naSs IN" TO tss S
shall ba told. the burden rests on you OF fur
nishing an equally effective substitute. which
We ack ledge tho Justice OF tho counter de-
mand. and admit the extreme diriouiiy Of smy-
TO equally serious, though different. ohjac-
tions. We infer from the drift oi Mr.. Wilson's
eSp @ sn he
sponsbe body OF olerGs to the responsible E1-
scntiys-s body which va dignity too highly by
,erming u y Cab inet--by corps Of Ministers
accountable to the Legislature. and having
seats N onsor both of the two Houses. Mani
testify the sffsct OF thia trenchAnt innovation
would he to exchange our own system OF gov
ernmsnt for that OF France. which. though
nom,nally residential. is really parliamentary.
the French President being In fact u nulity. To
MS this proposition seems utterly inndmissihle.
for reasons which We need net reenritu,ate lust
mittse System which would bs ut once pract-
cable and accountable has yet been pointed out
II does not follow that we should coudons or
palliats tn. grave defects and mischisfs at that
system. or coaso to keep them before the public
ave, 10 tho hope that proper remedies may be
speedily propounded.