Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-07-17

reported by that committee. But there
is no committee on pensions, and there
will be no committee on pensions un.
til next December, Consequently the
old soldiers and their friends must de.
fer their hopes until the beginning OF
the regular session.
There are many ambitious cities in
the country, with populations of TO-.
600 or more, who desire that the gov.
ernment shall appropriate money fol
public buildings.
The same rule applies to these bills
They are all to be referred to the com.
mittee on public buildings and grounds
But the speaker has appointed no such
committee, and the bills cannot be con
sidered by the house until they have
been iavorably reported by that com
| mittee.
Congressman deceive their constitu.
ents very often, in plausible manner
For example, an old soldier in coun.
try town applies for pension, through
congressional enactment. The con.
gressman introduces the bill. The gov.
crnment printing office on the follow.
ing day prints 100 copies of the bill, in
large type. The congressman sends
four or five copies of the printed bill to
his constituent. The printing costs him
nothing. 1t is an official document,
and is carried through the mails free
of charge. The congressman thus gives
his constituent to understand that he
is in fair way to get pension. The
constituent receives the printed bills,
and shows the copies to his friends.
They do not know how hard it is to
get bill through congress; and they
fondly imagine that their congress
man is a great man, who has done a
great thing. AS matter of fact, the
introduction of a bill in congress is as
easy as dropping a letter in the post
oflice. The congressman simply drops
the bill in what is called 1.-THE bill box, "
and the clerks and the government
printing Office do the rest.
Then there is another thing which
the people do not understand. They
get up big petitions to congress pray
ing that certain legislation be enacted.
The congressman receive these petit
tions, but they pay no heed to them
Of course they each write letter to
the man whose name heads the petition
and say to him: Il have received the
Ipetition and to-day presented it to the
house of representatives. 1t was re-
ferred to the proper committee and
will receive consideration in due time.
When you send petitions to congress
and receive such letters you may ss
well understand that you have been
wasting time. There is a petition
box" in the house of representatives.
Your congressman simply drops your
petition in that box and it is taken in
charge by the clerks, who fold it, send
it to a committee, where it is filed
away and forgotten. There is moth
ing in it. Congressman do not pay any
attention to petitions.
In the senate there is no bill box
and there is no petition box" In that
body each senator arises in his place
and formally introduces bill or pc
tirion and his remarks are printed
daily in the Congressional Record. The
Congressional Record is sent to tens OF
thousands of constituents, so that they
may read that their senators have pre-
sented their bills and petitions. But
they go their way to the graveyard OF
pigeon-holes, just the same as they dc
in the house of representatives.
This is the way legislation is carried
on in the two houses of congress of this
republic. where it is claimed that "all
men are born free and equal.
SMITH D. FRY.
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