The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-04-15
THE RIGHT OF PETITION.
acw It Was Abused by a Gov
eminent Clerk.
He styled Himself the Wageworkers'
Political Alliance and Flooded tho
congregational Mail Box with
Cranky Documents.
Especial Washington Letter.l

Especial Washington Letter.l
One of the most peculiar freaks ever
known in the capitol during a session
of congress was developed here when
the Fifty-second congress was young.
OF course you know that John Quincy
Adams, as a member of the house of
representatives, long after he had been
president of the United States, was the
leader in the debate which forever set
tied 1.-The right of petition" by the peo-
pie of this republic. That right is not
only exercised very freely, but it is
also abused. Not only do the people
send genuine petitions to congress, but
lobbyists interested in legislation have
petitions printed, leaving blanks for
signatures, and send them broadcast
over the land. These machine pc
titions' are signed by persons who
know little and care less about the sub
iect matter contained in them. They
are all forwarded to the Washington
attorneys, and by them handed to mem
bers of congress, either of the senate or
house. These alleged petitions are
dropped into d receptacle called a "pe-
tition box" and the regular clerical
employees send them to the proper com-
mittees. The people have "the right of
petition" but their petitions lave al
most no weight whatever with the
gentlemen who legislate for the nation.
Well, during the early days OF the
last congress there were petitions ga
lore upon all manner of subjects from
the "Wageworkers' Political Alli-
ance." The alliance first made itself
bills and the presentation of wordy pc
titions to both houses of congress-.
Prominent statesmen received numer-
Gus communications, signed only by
this remarkable body, and most of the
bills and memorials which accompanied
these epistles were introduced. Not a
few of them, though, were thrown
aside, Notwithstanding the fact that
they bore the seal of this great politico-
labor engine, by whose mysterious force
the world was to be reformed in an or
iginal and highly satisfactory manner.
That some of the bills were introduced
is due to the fact that they were less &C.
centric than those which found a rest
ing place in the waste basket.
Just when the alliance commenced it's
task of vicarious legislation is not a
matter of much moment, but it was
early in the first session of the present
congress. To a close observer it must
have been evident that neither senators
or representatives. paid any attention
to the erudition which was being dis
played, and after awhile the alliance
became aware of the sluggish ~circula-
ton its alleged ideas were having. Then
the alliance caused a bill to be intro
duced authorizing and i~nstructing the
public printer to publish daily Sundays
excepted) a periodical which should be
known as "The Congressional Petition
Box" the same to be for g%ratuitous dis.
tribution to all applicants.
Further provision was made for the
creation of an office-editor of 1.-The
Congressional Petition Box'-the sal
airy to be four dollars per day. The
duty of the editor would be the sar-
ranging, classification, condensation
and publication of all petitions, me
MORALS, bills. resolutions and other re-
spectfully worded communications"
which he might receive from any citi.
zen of this republic when such petit
tions, etc, were addressed either to
congress, to the supreme court or the
president; provided" says the bill,
that said communications shall clear
ty show that something is wanted by
some citizen of this republic and that
the person who wants that something
can be found usually at the place stated