The Washington critic., 1886-04-30
WHY LEGISLATION LAGs.

n great deal oil complaint Is ncdru III
different directions about the dilntori-
ness of Congress, and nothing Is more
common than TO hear Members them
selves express the opinion that little or
nothing beyond the passage of the ap-
preparation bills will be done at this
session. Nor is Congress entirely at
fault in this matter, at least in the
sense that public interests which need
looking after, are neglected through
Incidence or indifference. II would be
well to sec what it is that stands In the
way before assuming that the repre-.
sentatives of the people at the Capitol
are incompetent or Inefficient or
wantonly negligent
The great trouble with the House Of
Representatives is not 50 much that 1t
is uncomfortably large aud unwicldy,
for the French Chamber Of Deputies
and the English House of Commons
are much larger, yet have no difficulty
in transacting whatever business Is
brought before them with intelligent
and reasonable dispatch. 1t is because
the home constituencies of the House
are of such uncomfortable size and
such inexhaustibe persistency that
Members have scarcely time to look
after their manifold and inexorabc
wants. As prominent Representa-
tive from Illinois remarked the other
day: 1--WE have become merely the
clerks of our constituents to do their
bidding and be the civil service law a
good thing in itself or otherwise, il has
certainly done nothing toward saving
our time for business of general legis.
lative interest"
On the contrary, as THE CRITIC is
well informed, the correspondence Of
Members is largely on the increase;
the requirements Of their constituents
are multiplied and imperative, and this
not on the Democratic side alone, but
on both sides of the House. The
change Of Administration-the change
in the procedure of appointments
have brought no relief; and the conse-
quencc is that the greater portion of
the time of Members, who are often
described as doing nothing but drawing
big salaries, is occupied in attending
to the thousand and one demands, i'm
portant and unimportant, of which
they are in constant receipt from th,
people whom they represent, ant
which cannot well be ignored.
Add to this the further fact that til,
duties of the principal committees are
onerous and complicated, and it vii
be seen that even the best and bright
est Members must be sorely pressed fol
opportunity to give great measures o
legislation and public policy that clos,
and exhaustive consideration to whicl
they are entitled. And if this is th
case with men who have been man,
years in Congress, how much NOR
difficult for new and ineXperiencc,
Members to overcome the embarrass
ing obstacles that surround them.
What shall be the remedy is yer,
pressing and serious question. Tn
adoption Of the new rules of the Hous
has done nothing towards expeditin
the transaction of business. The cs
tablishment of the civil service reform
system has not materially lessened tn
obligations of members to their constit
uents. What shall be done then thl
the representatives, of the people i
Congress may enjoy greater exemptio
from the routine relations which the
now bear to their several districts, tn
claimants, the Office. seekers, the bid
ders for contracts, the hungerers afte
patronage, and be left free to legislat
upon matters that are of supreme in
terest to the country at large?