The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-08-02


bar bss NO friends IN my district" 1t was
,,st spcb views a. this that defeated the
hin time and again in the past, IL IL pre-
ciseIv thiz narrow, selfish stand that deieats
hund rcaa Of worthy measures and perpet-
pates hundreds OF monstrous inlustices
done In the name Of tho public.
Tbere are plenty OF demagogues In con
,,~oe. TfI dared would use some names.
Totaauan illustration a certain measure
Witch attracted n great deal Of attention
Sry5ne, the last month. II passed the house
by majority of 100 and the senate by
vote proportlonately large. ! personally
have heard a score or moro OF members Oh
the house and at least dozen senators
who voted for Il. denounce 1t as improper
dangerous foolish legislation. And yer
have got TO vote for it," they added
"beoause the people In my district or state
want it.. and If voted against 1t they
would wreak vengeance upon me-" This
IS only one case Of many could name.
The truth is, public service is becoming
in a large measure sort Of actors probes
sion. II is u bid for popularity all the
time. II is an effort, not 70 do the right
thing. not 20 carry out ones convictions aS
"a what should be done. but TO do thai
which viii bring the most votes ana pie'b'e
the largest number Of interested ana lhiiu
entail persons. know one senator VINO
is as able and eloquent az any other nlan
in that BODY. But he makes it rule
Whenever he goes out 20 his state 70 MAKE
speeches TO inquire what the sentiments OF
the people Of that particular locality are be
fore commencing his address, and cuts bis
cloth accordingly. To me he has admit
ted. with laugh, that IN two days, IN ad-
Joining counties, be has made two speeches.
on the silver question-one for free siiyor
and the other against. 1.-THE smartest men
differ on thatquestioR, be explained, 70
why should | quarrel with my constltu-
entsY It is my duty to give them what
they want" And he gave them what they
wanted, just as an actor might have playeo
comedy as one theater where comedy was
in favor and tragedy at another where the
audiences were given TO passion
know several members Of congress VINO
have organized regular systematic plan
for ascertaining the sentiments Of the peo-
pie of their districts on questions winch
may arise. One member hes about o'o
friends in his district to whom he sends an
inquiry. when occasion requires, something
! ike this: "See "A dozen representative cltl-
zens and ascertain what their views are on
! the silver question" From the 800 replies
be tabulates the expressions and votes
with the majority If there is not pro-
nouncsd majority one way or the other he
dodoes In this manner he has'held his
/ seat in the house for a good many years,
! and for all know will succeed ia holding
il a good many more.
OF course the encouraging side OF this
matter Is that it showsthe power OF puDilc
opinion. Perhaps there never was time
IN this country when public opinion had
greater force with public men than 1t has
at the present time. The passage OF the
antioption bill through one and perhaps
both houses of congress was due TO moth
| ing In the world but tho power of public
/ opinion. The Sunday closing proviso put
| on the Worlds fair sections of the sundry
| civil bin was due TO nothing but the force
Of public opinion expressed through petit
tions. As these petitions rolled in by the
thousand and the hundreds Of thousands,
many senators Eidiculed them in private
and one or two did in public; but when
| the vote was taken / noticed that each Of
| these seuators voted precisely as the petit
/ cioners had asked him to do. On the
theory that the people know what they
want and are wiser than any Legislative
body could possibly be, the growth Of the
| power of public opinion in Legislative mat
tiers and theincreasedc consciousness among
the masses of their possession Of the ability
TO make themselves felti the federal cap
ital are encouraging signs They tend 70
/ destroy Individual craftsmanship, to make
great leaders impossible, but they contain
no threat against tho public welfare.
The lazy congressman is a nuisance, and
| If cared to use some names and give some
! instances dare say a number OF able gen
! tlemen who expect TO return next fall with
/ their calling and reelection sure would be
/ ingloriously turned down by their con-
| stituents. have no patience with the
man who will not study public questions:
who will not attend 10 the business which
/ citizens intrust to his care; who Is too in
dolent TO make speech or TO make an
/ honest effort to impress himself In one way
or another upon the affairs OF the times.
/ There are scores of such men In congress.
/ The requests Of their constituents for help
| in matters pending before the government
+ bureaus they evade by downright lying.
/ Even Applications lOE puDilC
they rid themselves Of by having their sec
retaries reply that the books or pamphlets
named are out of print These men idle
their time away. In committee rooms
they arc ciphers; on the floor they are I'M
! known.
The bright side Of this picture is bright
one indeed. IL is the portrait Of con-
gresham who endeayors TO do his whole
duty He rises early, visits the depart
ments on business for his constituents, at
half past 10 is in his committee room, at
noon in his seat on the floor and all after
noon is watching public business, alert
and Intelligent, accomplishing something
when opportunity offers, making friends
The evening he spends with his mail, writ
ing reports. studying pending questions.
This congress caue into life as 1.-THE cy-
clone congress-" "the farmer congress. {"
1t was much joked about. The prediction
was freely made that it would be crank
congress. 1t may have done some foolish
things, but on the whole it has been wise
and patriotic Both Democrats and Re
pubiicans are deserving Of credit. The big
Democratic majority has been considerate
OF the rights Of the minority, while the
Republicans have not pursued any narrow
policy of goading and harassing the oppo-
sition. The new men. the green members,
the farmers who came up from the coun-
try, many of them with callouses on their
hands, have served with credit. 1t has not