Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-04-03

He does not comprehend that people
who do not talk may think, and. may
not think to the same conclusion as
those who talk. Nor does he compre.
hend the tremendous diversity of in.
terest in the house. He knows vague
ly that this is great country indeed
he has frequently heard persons say so,
and has said 80 himself; but he does
not understand that thousand miles
of distance is tremendous change OF
the point Of view.
If We could only make the intelli.
gent men all over the country realize
the sectional differences of opinion
which our greatness occasions, the
whole people would look with more
reasonablenesss upon those who try to
do what is feasible, and with less pa.
thence upon those whom only the
whole earth in the way of legislation
will content.
The new member in his first term,
and often long afterward, finds the
rules perpetual stumbling block and
rock of offense. He wants to talk and
to get his measures before the house,
and somehow he never can. If be
stops to reason about it, he will find
himself again in contact with the great
ness of the country.
Three hundred and fifty-six mem
bers seem to be large number to col
lect together for purposes of delibera'
ton, and, numbers are a great hin,
drance to that deliberation which
means frequent speaking and voting.
Many people wonder why each de.
cade the number is increased instead
of diminished; but the increase is
Likely to 60 on for some time in the
future.
Large as our number of members is,
Great Britain and France, with half
our population, have each a great
many more.
Indeed, when you look at the con-
stituency the wonder ceases. Each
member of congress represents 10000
citizens, and in many districts 200, 900.
The business which all these people
have in Washington centers in the
congressman, and as I have already
pointed out, it makes for him plenty
of work. So great has this work be-
come that by law each member has
clerk. Although the expense to the
nation is not trifling, and the assist
ance was voted with some fear and
trembling on our part, there has not
been, so far as I know, the slightest
criticism of the act.
MEASURES BEFORE CONGRESS.
Of what congress does in the way
of public acts, everybody has some
idea. All great questions which agi.
tate the nation come there for final
settlement. Of course, the settlement
is always on some basis which the
members think will satisfy all or most
of the people. That often turns out
to be mistake, for people often think
they want what they do not want at
all, and they are always ready to pun.
ish legislators who give them the bad
things they thought they wanted.
Appropriation bills settle good
many congressional questions. By
them, for instance, our great lake com.
merce, fostered by improvements in
rivers and harbors, has been built up
until it much surpasses the great for.
eign commerce which we have with
the whole outside world I; and what
Madison and Monroe thought we could
not constitutionally do at all, we do
every session with the full agreement
of both political parties.
All these great questions, like the
example just given, are known and
noticed by many of the people. But
one great business which congress does
passes without anybody's notice
Congress is the great and general
court. All the complaints, demands
and wishes of the people come to it.
In the great majority of the cases
nothing is done, but of 10000 proposed
laws perhaps 6 per cent. or less become
law. So in a court of justice many
cases are brought, and but few tried
But the existence of court where
complaints can be made with chance
of redress is a great help to human
life. Before and after a man has
brought his suit the fact that he car
have even an unsuccessful hearing goes
great way toward calming his spirit
So in congress, if man can have
committee examine his case, even il
no remedy is found, he becomes more
reconciled to the inevitable.
TEMPER OF THE HOUSE.
Members of congress, even when as
sembled in performance of their duties
do not always behave amiably. Some
people think their behavior is growing
worse, but it is not so. Such collisions
as occasionally take place have always
taken place, from the time when Girls
wold and Lyon encountered each Other
on the floor down to our day. They
all happen in the same way men gel
heated mentally, and sometimes ply
sically then they are bad tempered
they forget where they are, and make
spectacles of themselves.
One of the worst scenes 1 ever saw
in the house was only the elimination
on hot day in July of the bad TEN.
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