The advocate., 1897-02-24


that is legitimate; / believe that every
well-meaning member Of Congress or OF
any other legislative body ought to be
willing, ought to be glad, ought to be
anxious to have both sides Of every
question fully presented so that he can
understand the merits Of the measure
under consideration. / have no fear Of
the lobbyist who does his work
openly; have 80 much faith in the
power Of truth that I believe that
truth has nothing to fear in an open
contest with error; l have moth
ing to fear from the lobbyist who pre-.
BentG his cause to q committee or upon
the floor OF the House. The lobbyist
that fear is the man who addresses his
remarks to the ear in private and makes
personal appeals to members. l say that
the man who asks personal favor in
the way Of law from q legislator, either
insults the legislator or oonfeeses that
he has no better argument to give in
favor Of the law that he ask9.
"a legislator is not here as q person;
Q legislator is acting In representative
capacity, AS an individual you have the
right to do fsvors; Rs an individual you
have the right TO show psrtiality to
friends; as a legislator you have not;
as an individual you have right to let
any man have as much of your money
az you want him to have; az legislator
you have no right to deal with the public
money az though IL were your private
money. say that whenever you fin6 o
lobbyist who directs his arguments
openly and above board to q committee
or TO a house, you need not fear him.
But the great trouble in this country 10
that around every Legislative body men
are hanging to seek to do faVOrs to
legislators aud then ask to get legislation
In return. Thus ls the personal injected
into public life, and the man who goes
to the legislative halls with an honest
determination to do his duty, 10 led Astray
by these influences, which, increasing In
force and effect, surround oil our public
officials. I told you | was selfish. Tam
going to apply the doctrine Of selfshnesa.
Iwould not ask another man TO do what ]
would not do.
81 would not ask q man either in pri.
Vste life or in public life to do anything
which, in the long run, 10 bad for him,
and I believe chat the Creator has 90
framed His laws and so arranged His
universe that the man who does his duty
in every position of life is doing the best
thing for himself. You who come to
this Legislative body, come entrusted
with great responsibilities Bnd in the en-.
joyment OF high honOrs. Nothing that
you can SECURE by the betrayal Of your
constituents will ever be sufficient 30
compensate you FOR the lose OF tho
opportunity which your position gives
you. In other words, mGa trusted by
his constituents, man honored by his
fellows, will find that a good name to be
treasured while he lives and to be handed
down 10 his children is O richer inherit
tsnce than anything he can secure by
betrayal Of those who trusted and
honored him.
"If this nation is to be brought back
and placed on it's old foundation, IL o
government Of the people, by the people
and for the people is to be restored 20
the people OF this nation, I believe
that these reforms have got to come
from the people who are not surrounded
by the vast inequalities in condition
which surround our brethren in some Of
the Eastern States. II we are going to
90 back to the old motto Of equal rights
TO all, we have got to commence out here
where the extremes of society are not so
far apart, out here where the people are
better acquainted with each other, and
where better acquaintance makes them
more conscious Of each others rights.
To my mind, the election through which
we have just passed, which has given 70
us, not the control of the nation, but tho
contVol Of 90 many Western and South
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