New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-23

when carpetbag districts made II bad average her6
saspioion and only five who were known to be venaf
And 40 excep tiona and conspioous these case3
that the creenesf member know them by name and
having aSssk between MaoD Of Iowa and MacDoug
OF New-York, both Young members IKE myself. !
often entered when the roll call was In progress on
i"wei. Mac" would ask turning to either member.
which way do we vote ~ -
And In score Of times the answer would be made
and received with intelligent chuckle; Il don't
myself know anything about It. but SEQ that such o
Notwithstanding one Of the thirt.en-has voted forit
iApplause.l This was the XLiIId Congress- and in
no one since has there been anything like 80 many
suspects There are 32o OF u.s. taken from all sorts OF
does this give post gratifying evidence OF the deep
underlying recognition of civic respons blty which
controls the average American citizen don't mean
to saw that these Representatives not eager TO
retain their positions and ~ their influence and
fame. nor that they are ~ 'en unscruPu'oas as 10
the means but do mean TO say that all Of them,
even the worst have great regard for their country
and great tho honor Of being trustee OF its
good name and that thseeng IN nearly all case:
Controlling one Applause The Member may be
rough and course Indifferent TO delicate considerations
OF manner, and of matter, which you ana ! con-
slider important but tor all that, no one VIII gcS
him to vote tor what he thinks IL against the public
good any quicker than you or would II he does
vote wrong you and think he does pretty oiten IL
because ne ignorant and mistakes the relation OF
tue to the public veal III he votes Tor bad
measure, tho 10 ninetynine cases out OF tho
Shall not recognize the purity and worth OF his
motIyef
REPRESENTATIVES, COME FROM THE PEOPLE.
Does this surprise you , Consider these men arc
representatives of the people who elect them and tho
people still, thank God, are singularly moral aud
patriotic Don't tail to notice the distinction make
between moral principle and intelligence. l don't
claim that all the members OF Congress intelligent;
neither are the constituencies. Few members nave
any knowledge OF historical precedent and OF ecOnonIe
skill in the arts OF statesmanshp, the power
to reason and persuade-to sum their lacking IN
word culture. But how few constituencies have any
culture themselves want it in their representatives.
Nor these ruder CONTINGENCIES found their
members full of this culture, that they would find
them so ready to express and enforce the pecuas
wants of their districts IN Congress- The Membef
might represent better what the district ought TO want
hut would be less likely to represent what the distrce
actually does want.
cultured class and has no patience with a Memoers
slow appreciation Of economic truths Ignorant oil ina
honest purpose of the Member. the editor thinks his
indifference is not intellectual, but moral o assumes
that because 1t Is so PLAIN to him. II must DO
plain to the Member and that the Member
refuses to recognize the value Of the truth,
knew the Member. he would see that the Mem
bers ignorance of political theories was dense bus
that his wish to adopt the theory which was best
tor the country wac an arc ent one ana sure erop
OF bore and encouragement. The discovery woud
show the editor that all that was needed was Patlece
stand the truth Besides, the city editor with all MS
culture and the city Member with all his economic lore
Is not always the one who is wholly right. Political
economy Is science which Is not science There
are too many elements which will not come to stand
for generalization and too many truths which seemed
like yesterday and which the facts OF today
turn INTO untrutbs. sometimes feel tempted 10
confess that the Western Member by his stolid hold
uDon facts have been helpful to legislation as
we in the ambition of our theories. If the West
accepts theory too slowly, how often have we seized
with an excessive zeal.
FINANCIAL QUESTIONS AS AN EXAMPLE
Take the money questions Here we are apt to be
dogmatic and seem to have most right to be- Shall we
not confess that said and said it according to laws
which have governed human affairs from the begin
ming: There can be no resumption when we lack
the money and every creditor knows that there is not
enor Oh to pay him and the rest while the Western
Member, who knew nothing OF laws whlcn had
governed human AFFAIRS from the beginning and VINO
seemed to less but who knew and cared much
what the people of his district wanted, said: Tho
yay to resu me is TO resume '-and resumption was
fact Or take another instance If ever there Was
monometast il /. and when ten years ago
Members who lived near the silver mines spoke to mo
of binetallism fet outraged that they should insu5
me in what seemed to unblushinq etort to ald
their and industry az the expense OF Gods truth
and the National safety The silver men are n2t al
dsprAsiatsd dollar. But Because they are wrong 40
this point. am not going TO forget that was wrong
at the other | admit now, as the world does. that
gold the only legal tender is mpractcable and that
the ultimate outcome OF our currency troubles must
and will be the of two metals. silver dollar
shall pass gold dollar, only the silver dollar must
have enoush silver to be worth the gold dollar. and
that is nothing but bi-metallIsm and the stupin
Western Member has brought us and the world to
that conclusion.
II have in the few moments allotted TO me done
ANYTHING to correct local public opinion that has
done great injustice earnest patriotic aud worthy
body of men, shall be glad that came here this
evening" glad for the sake OF the House OF Represent
atives which greatly respect and of which am
proud to be Member; glad tor your sake, tor it is
pleasanter thing TO think well of those whom you
have made your rulers. And for my part, if you
are dissatisfied with what have sad this evening. my
only comment is that which little girl made To her
mother who chided her because God would not be
pleased with her sleepy prayer Well it's the best lie
will get out of me tonight" Long continued
APPLAUSE.