The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-07-21
Senators as Railroad Attorneys.

senators as Railroad Attorneys.
From all the accounts furnished by
Washington correspondents concern
ing the action of the senate judiciary
committee upon Senator Beck's at
torney bill, it seems evident that the
bill would have been smothered in the
committee and never heard from again
at this session but for the pressure of
public opinion and the demands of the
press. The Journal correspondent
says: st is obvious that when the
judiciary committee attempt to frame a
law limiting the opportunities of law
yers more trouble must of necessity
ensue. The Beck bill was based on a
perfectly simple proposition, namely,
that members of congress ought not to
accept employment under railroad COM
panies subsidized by congress, and
which will comply with the conditions
of their subsidies only when watched
and compelled to by congress. There
has been pretty general expression of
public sentiment that members of the
senate judiciary committee, which pre-
tends to be trying to frame a bill that
will make some of these subsidized
roads pay their debts to the govern
ment, ought not to be employees of the
aforesaid companies. Thus the CON-
mittee's substitute is quite different
bill. 1t would allow members of con-
gress to accept employment from these
corporations, provided they do not act
in litigation to which the government
is party" The Journal says, edito-
rally: "The new bill has been in
geniously framed upon the time-hon-
ored principle of how-not-to-do-it. 1t
saves the committee the reproach of
smothering the matter altogether, but
the provisions which it contains are of
character which would certainly be
imperative, and are pretty clearly in.
tended so to be-"
1t will be generally conceded that
senators and representatives in con-
gress should not be debarred from
prosecuting their regular business or
calling, if this does not seriously inter-
fere with the efficient performance of
their public duties or prevent them from
acting impartially in matters of legisla-
ton. But this is one thing, and the
abuse which the Beck proposition aims
at is quite another. 1t is not denied
that the practice has prevailed on the
part of the great subsidized corpora.
ton, which now and then have legisla.
tive favors to ask, of retaining mem.
bers of either house of congress by
large fees to perform service as coun.
sel-sometimes tritling service. When
Mr.. Edmunds began his senatorial
service it is stated that the value of his
taxable property was less than $40,
600, but to-day his wealth is estimated
at half million dollars and upwards
He has for some years received large
retainers from one or more of thu
Immigrant corporations-in one instance
$4,000. Only last winter he argued al
important case for the Union Pacific
railway against the government. Ii
the summer or fall of 1884 when, in {
letter to the republican national com
mittee, he pleaded that his condition
was such that it was impracticable ,
for him to engage in any politica
work." he was able to appear as coun
sci in the great telephone suit in New
York, and we understand that his fe'
in that case was $4,000.
Now we are not contending that Mr.
Edmunds or any other senator has N,
right to act as an attorney for any cor
poration while occupying an officia
station, but when corporations have in
terests to be passed upon by congress
then it would be far better for the pub
lie interests and for the personal reput
of the senators and representatives i
they were not in the employ of sue
corporations. Mr.. Edmunds is not tn
only senator who has erred in this mat
ter; there are others in the same boat
and they should hasten to get out of
instead of devising ways and means t
perpetuate an Objectionable practice
The fact that a majority of those in
volved are republicans is bringing n
little reproach upon the republica
party, and the democratic papers ar
making all the capital they can out c