The National tribune., 1896-03-12
AN OPEN LETTER.
To the Republican Repre-
sentatives in Congress
Assembled.

! y y
political futures
We sincerely believe that you wan
10 DO right for rights sake. We give
you full credit for that.
We also believe that you are hon
estly and earnestly devoted to the vet
Grams and strongly intend that the
country shall do justice TO them.
With this hearty avowal no mistake
is possible as to motives in presenting
considerations which relate more nearly
to your self-interest.
Let us begin by recalling the circum-
stances of your election. Undoubtedly
the strongest influence that contributed
to the unparalleled sweeping Of the coun-
try two years ago was the widespread
indignation of the people at the pension
policy of the present Administration.
You recognized that fully at the time
YOU attacked that policy sharply in all
your speeches, your criticisms evoked
boundless applause from your hearers,
and every vote cast for you was an ex-
preston of condemnation of that policy.
Is there any doubt of this?
1t is entirely true that there were other
features Of the Administrators policy
which you criticized with much severity,
and your criticisms we're approved by
your election. We may allude to these
more fully later on.
Now, you will return TO your con-
stituents in n few weeks TO give an ac-
count of your stewardship and ask a
reelection.
What are you going to have to present
to them as visible token Of the pledges
and promises made two years ago?
You will certainly admit that the peo-
pie expect very much from you. They
hold YOU to higher standard of action
than they did your predecessors of the
last Congress. They would not have
elected you over them by phenomenal
majorities if they had not expected that
you would do incomparably better than
the men you defeated, and would be able
to achieve substantial results, where they
had mainly occupied themselves with
windy suspirations Of forced breath"
Again we ask, What visible tokens
are You going to have to present to
your constituents during the coming
campaign? We assure you that mere
speeches, resolutions, bills introduced,
and piecemeal, nibbling legislation will
not suffice. No one wants any gimlet-
boring from this Congress. They had
an exasperating surplus of that in its
two predecessors.
What they want most emphatically,
what they will insist on having, and
what they will resent if they do not get
it, is broad, radical, far-reaching search
ing legislation which will deal with mat
tiers in comprehensive National way.
How much Of this kind of legislation
you will have in other ways we will not
discuss. But in the matter of pensions
nothing will fulfill all the requirements
like Service Pension Bill. If you will
rass this it will come incomparably
nearer satisfying everyone than any
thing else you can possibly do. 1t is a
matter in which every little group Of
your constituents has a direct, living in
terest. 1t is something tangible, pal
pable, which will bring benefits TO deserv-
ing men in every Township in your
whole District. If YOU pass it you can
90 back to your constituents with the
consciousness Of having done something
the benefits of which they cannot help
recognizing. Everywhere you 90 you
will find warmly grateful men, who will
assure you that you have fulfilled their
best expectations. You will have given
such an earnest Of your usefulness that
your reelection will be assured.
We shall not multiply words on this
important theme, for surely you have
already sufficient evidences before you
In the action of the comrades all over
the country to impress you as to the
truth of this much more strongly than
any words we can use.
We beg you to give this earnest and