New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-04
THE DUTY or REPUBLICANS.

No Republican member of Congress can af
ford. upon any prctcAt whatever. unless he l.
compelled to it by absolute and unavoidable
necessity to be absent from his scat during
the extra session called for the 9TH of next
month We do not speak now of the duty
he owes TO his constituents and to his country
On that head nothing need be said except that
no man is elected TO Congress for fun or fol-
| fame but to do certain work for his constltu-
entS. If he cannot do it he dlSgIaccs them
and dishonors himself by wearing honors and
! drawing pay which he does not deserve non
earn The very least he can do is to be IN his
seat and answer to his name at rollcall
Whether he be lazy, incompetent, careless, dis
honest or what not, he cannot shiik this duty
in existing circumstances without the con-
ScousncsS that he Is sham and humbug ;
an insignificant ard utterly ridiculous clphcr
maSquerading as a person of Importance hat
we mean by saying that no Republican mem
Der can afford to be absent is simply that IN
the light of his own personal interests ana
selfish ambition he cannot afford it.
There is not constituency in the country
that is not profoundly interested in the acton
of this Congress There is not one that Will
consent TO be unrcprcSentcd and DISTINGUISHED
merely because the distinguished person on
whom they have imposed duty as well as
conferred an honor is occupied with large bust
ness affairs fears malaria, or heat. or mos
quitoes in the Washington August. has made
arrangements TO go abroad, or to the sea-
side or the mountains. or upon any pIetcXt
whatever stays away from the place he pre-
tended to be fit for. wanted to be PIT IN, and
is paid for occupying We are glad to say
that. as a rule. Republican members OF Con
rrcss have been attentive f. their duties and
not included in the list Of hahltal ahScntecs
But there have been exceptions. There are
Republicans as we'll as Democrats who have
treated their official position a> if it were a
mere feather to put in the hat and strut under
instead Of commission to- render service.
There may be some in this Congress. 1t may
he said that a constituency which sends ShlIN
10 represent it in Congress deserves H. be dis
franchi,cd But we give fair notice that such
constituencies will not have the excuse OF ig-
norancc hereafter for continuing 10 send
ciphcrS to represent them.
Let il be remembered that men are not
elected 10 Congress t. pair of. The process oi
cancellation has lis merits no doubt but until
we establish by law a system of reducing the
equation Of government to is lowest terms by
the elimination of opposite factors we must
proceed upon the theory that II a man l. PAID
something for being somewhere. Il j. bis dut'
TO be there. In this Congress. oi all others. IT
is the duty Of Republicans. from the point OF
view of yalt.>an>hip n well a> Of patriot >In. II
he in their seats IT every iOlCali Mess all
signs fail. the party i'll power Is about TO de
monstIatc its incapac,y t. carr. on the Gov
crnmcnt Republicans are III minority IN
Congress. but every one OF their votes will be
needed to prevent laundering and incompc-
tent majority from prccptatlng the country
into disaster. The last time this party was in
control of the Government il cost a million
lives and over six Thousand million dollars 10
heal the mischief il had done. Again the
reckless adventures are in command. Livery
Republican member should be At his post. And
every Republican constituency should mark
the man for dismissal who upon any pctcNt
shiiks his duty.