Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-07-12
seat here would strive 70 hold Il ana .

seat here would strive 20 hold 10 and 70
make something OF ms elf"
Though Judge Reed IL to retire from
congress, he has remained long enough
to do one act which must have given him
much satisfaction. As chief Justice Of tho
supreme court Of Iowa sosno years aeo
he delivered the first Original package
decision, which the supreme court Of the
United States reversed. Az member Of
the Judiciary committee Judge Reed has
just written report in favor Of the ct.
designed TO change the whole law relat.
ing to that part Of interstate commerce
covered by what is known As original
packages.
This is the season Of the year in which
congressman become nervous. They are
afraid their constituents will not renom-
mate them, or, II nominated for anotheg
term, there Is always before their eyeo
the unpleasant possibility Of defeaS q
the polls. Every year seventy-llvs q
hundred aspiring statesmen are thus cut
of in the flower of youth, and the reas-
sembling Of congress in the fall win
probably find the usual number Of vic-
Tins. At the same time we hear the
very congressman who struggle hardest
TO be reelected saying they are disgusted
with congressional life. why should I
give up my profitable business or my
great law practice" they say, ITO come
down here and he an errand boy for
every Tom, Dick and Harry In my dis-
trict? Why should /, who love indepond-
ence IA well rs any man, be forced con-
tinually to get down on my knees and
crawl before the omnipotent voterf'
That is the way they talk, with many
an expletive expressive Of their disgust,
but they lie awake nights Just the same
deyising schemes which will make their
calling and election as sure AZ anything
can be in politics.
Viewed from the gallery on hot day
the house OF representatives is not an
imposing body. Greatness is here In
perspiration, dignity suffers in neglige,
and vanity is sacrificed to all manner Of
seersuckers. Aannels and linens. Cabot
Lodge, tho aristocrat, has shown us that
II is possible for an orator TO be inn
prcssive without white shirt and waist.
coat. To the average observer IL seema\
very dull and commonplace Legislative
body, often boyish and trivial. But I
have little sympathy with that Fad
which is well nigh universal in WASH
ington Of decrying congress as q sympo-
sium Of small potatoes. Some of the
speeches are dull to listen to, it is true,
but the great majority Of them seen In
; Tho Congressional Record are better
speeches than the blase Washington
newspaper man is willing TO admit.
And this poor Congressional Record 70
in my opinion a much maligned publ
cation. II Is sized up in the average
mind as the incarnation OF dullness, q
the ne plus ultra Of verbose stupidity.
But 1t is really a very useful, and Mt times
very entertaining journal. AZ rule
II is worth reading from one end to the
other. read IL more or less thoroughly
every morning, as do the news jour
mails, and as u reflector of the opinions Of
studious, often earnest and sometimes
very able men am astonished at the
mass of information and evidences of
learning which it contains. 1t Is q journal
which has four hundred writer's, draw.
ing salaries of 5000 each per year, and
these men are always at work in one way
or another thinking, planning, investi-
eating, writing, talking-for its columns.
II is absurd to suppose record or jour.
nal thus equipped can always BE- stupl1
or valueless sS
Journalists as rule affect 70 deepl1
The Congressional Record. bue a
worth mentioning that = speech wn,c1
printed in The Record MeqaS sfffn0
no attention whatever from tho aosII
papers, would, IL given ont - IN ino6G
view in advance of The Record, b. pein1
ed in full and with display headlines i
dozen or more prominent journals.
Notwithstanding Its faults and 6ntf
ures, and the many unfavorable condf
tions under which IL exists, believe ~
legislative service Of the United STATE
is on higher plane than that Of any
other nation; that our Legislators eclipsG
in brains, character and industry thosa
Of any other country.
WALTER WELIllAN.