Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-03-02
LETTERS TO THE PEOPLE
ILL.,.
LEGISLATION.

verltable iOd IN ms dOmalni MS WOrd Is
law, he il the law he makes and un-
makes; he builds up and tears down.
England's queen does not possess the |
same autoCratiC power, but she is the |
ruler England delights to obey, Amer
lea is most fOrtunate we possess a gov
eminent in which the governed are the |
governors; our laws are made by our |
selves; we have "A national franchise,
born with every male person, and !
granted to men who have fulfilled the |
conditions of citizenship We elect our
president once every four years, and our
representatives in Congress- at stated
periods; we through the ballot, express
orr will. and by orr voices the func-
tlOnarieS Of the nation are named and
authorized to act. Our legislature sit
ting in Washington is purely represent
tatlve; the men are the nations choice
the pick of the world educated, trained,
some in professions, others in com.
merce. But when they are sent to the
national AS emily it is not necessary
they should exercise this knowledge, in
fact, they do not; they have most SUI
preme contempt for the work which
they were sent to do, nervous prostra-
ton being imminent if any one of them
should read Ill or attempt to under.
stand clause in it. A fashion they have
when the roll is called requiring their
answer yea or nay, il to answer and
| then ask their neighbor what measure
that is. Their behavior in the House
is unique; they catch word or two
now and then between the discussion of
the latest addition to the demi,monde of
Washington, or the merits of the "col-
onels' bull pup, and with wonderful
ingenuity rise at once to ask il question
which is never answered, but which the
member was instructed to ask by the
"boss'-l mean, begging your pardon,
the whip. Their attention to business
is deserving Of the highest praise; the
evening is spent in the parlor of some
poker den, discussing legislation be-
tween the deals; morning, in bed. OF
course, they call for their mail at the
House, and chat with friend; but the
business is SO well advanced and the day
il 80 hot Occasionally the marriage OF
Il son necessltateS their obtaining q
leave Of absence; they retire to their
castle, followed by the sympathies of a
nation, and the envy Of their less
cheeky fellows. Their patriotism is
unbounded, but their salary is always
drawn, even though some poor rascal of
a constituent dares to get ILL.,
The fifth amendment, with an adden-
dun of cunts, cousins, nephews, nieces
in fact, relatives to the farthest degree,
is religiously kept; Sin honor preferring
one another" is Il wrong translation;
mistake. They sacrifice themselves
and their whole families upon the altar
of a grateful country. 1t is touching to
hear them plead for the "horny handed
sons Of toll" their love for humanity is
unbounded, except when office is I'M
possible and Just after elections; they
warn with faithfulness and in fearful &C
cents of the terrible evils of Hungarian
emigration, but that rasCally agent of
; theirs has just hired another batch of
one hundred. They are helpless. What
can they do, poor things? Their respect
for the Constitution is 50 much that
they spend months in doing all possible
to keep it from going to pieces, by re-
peal, by amending the repeal, then re-
pealing the amendment. One Senator
) was known to Use twenty handker-
chiefs in an hour to dry his tears. shed
while lahoring to repeal an amendment
to a motion for repeal of previous
amendment, and two reporters tainted
in trying to write the motion down cor
rectly. But the sanctity of these legis
, lators is unbounded. Prayer is offered
to the Deity while sweet incense rises
, from a score Of mouths in the shape OF
curses at the length of the prayer
= Strange to say, these curses are favored
: strongly with an odor of a deCoction OF
| granite and rye. Their exercises closet
$ they proceed to grant to each other tn,
l nations land, and increase the taxation
on the laborer, but declare the building
= erected toy --- free, ii being al
I institution of charity, built with tn,