The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12
A DEFENCE OF PUBLIC MEN
CoNGREssMES ARE No7 VEyAL AND
orr UPI.

Public Life in Washington Il steadily Grow
tnE I'nrcr ana strpnEer-The Pubiic Rusi-
mess II More Honestly Conducted Than
IL Private Busincss the Country over.
WARRINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE comments In vari.
Gus places by newspapers Of a certain sort upon
the assembling OF Congress suggest that, not
withstanding the innumcrnblo patriotic socle-
tics In the land. there is another needed whose
special province shall DO to inculcate speaking
we'll of the Government and the great body of de.
serving and patriotic public men OF all grades
who administer it.
An observation of thirty years In Washington,
not counting two years spent in earnest effort
20 learn how to observe, ~justines the statement
that Administrations Senators and Representa-
hves, department officers, in short, Government
workers of every grade and without regard to
party. arc. in large majority. in very large ma.
tority indeed, honest and faithful men. 1t is
not intended by this statement to imply that
there have not been dishonest men in tho public
service or that thoy have been entirely climi.
mated. But 1t is intended to declare a belief,
founded on long and close observation, with at
least fair opportunities OF arriving at the truth.
that honest and earnest purpose to faithfully
discharge public duty is the rule, and the OPP
posite the rare exception.
And yet, a contrary belief is undoubtedly
growing in the country. Tho moment Congress
bShtaoh VI Az biSoo NbAho ~ III
culcate the belief among readers that this body
fs venal, and the public service in general cor
rupt. A portion Of the thick-and.thin party
press uniformly proceeds upon the theory that
the opposing party is dishonest in all its ways.
A prolific growth OF balcful views OF this sort
has taken deep root in the land. 1t Is spreading
fast, and everywhere choking the good seed OF
patriotic confidence in our institutions and our
public servants.
Public life has been steadily growing purer
and stronger. until to-day 1t is more worthy Of
the nation than at any time since war estab-
lished us as a nation. No reader OF tho daily
press needs to be told that the public business
is moro honestly conducted than private bust
ness the country over. The defalcations and
breaches Of trust which are unpleasantly fro
uuent in the press reports are seldom those Of
Government officers. II Is very rare that dis.
honesty develops in this service. The annual
reports Of the pay department and internal rev.
enue service, for example. year after year for a
long period, have shown clear sheets of millions
collected and disbursed without the dishonest
loss Of a dollar. Those who know the depart
n,ents and their methods of business are aware
that, in the main. the work OF the public Is Ell.
GENTLY and promptly performed. The delays
which do occur are ottener due to failure on the
part Of those interested to conform to the estab-
lished system OF Government business than to
all other causes.
The current stimates of public men and the
upon Washington upon the threshold OF every
Congress are. in essence. a species OF anarchistio
TO undermine. government by destroying cont.
dence in public servants, This license has be-
severe and crushing as tho facts warrant, is a
proper function and duty of the press. This is
men and the management OF public AFFAIRS. or.
worse yet, the insldious assumption in every.
esty the exception. are very diaerent thinEs.
Technical treason consists in taking up arms
treason OF more dangerous and despicsble sort
in daily taking up the writer's pen to poison the
Hnareh ii 8 openly peniT'r pro o : tb tns Pd de.ire st to oRes:
throw government. These pernicious writer's
S %aS ps0e snd a SenerH1 so f9 ibs nu n5s p iofer asn,
than the most blatant Anarchists. because their
work strikes at Il o very foundations upon which
government rests. These writers, and the jour
mails and journalism which they represent, are
among the worst enemies OF the country and de-
serve to DO put under the ban by every patriotic
Another serious and most unpatriotic. because
Congress. is that this branch Of the Government
= is constantly deteriorating in ability. and that
debate and oratory lived.
in our history as a class by themselves and un.
approachablo. These men who organized the
and finally. in mighty heats and with mighty
blows. forge constitutional republican govern.
with the succeeding period. commonly desig-
houn. with their associates. the Congresses of
recent years and Of the present are by no means
1t may be said without mourning the charge
OF iconoclasm that, in many respects, that
and he OK cart in in conSresssionaI life s'@ compared
with the press and crush and rush of these emf
ne MI practical and more active times. .
cal correspondent, In combination. set up In
rushing thair Vila1 pVnriR m AvRrV mart nf
the land, have Killed oratory and forced the
ahlest to reading speeches. The days Of Con-
venient, p~loddinG days. when. after %extempore
speaking. there was time to rest q day or two
htel!ifOencc'. and then a week or more OF stage
coach distribution before the country was even
speech. Now. when the whole country listens
To the words as spoken. even men Of the first
advised phrase arouse national and simultane
pas criticism. and, to cite an example Of such
h'prnningsi the unfortunate speaker be brought
Few even of those who observe Congress have
work which the principal committees perform,
O. Of the rapid growth Of this work NO a. ns the coHn
70 SAY that the Committees on Aprropriation
alone. which, deal. and deal with great care. with
service, do more work than nrlf the committee,
q both, houses performed in the old days. Tc
i fnSSsr t TeG wd maxs is' not that to tho qSss great 'b Bills sS fo,
carrying on the Government, do not appear TIL
II te in thc session, but that they arc ever driver
through even approximately on time. TIT
labors of these committees are herculean. Their,
t. the same comparative increase in the work
Of I'll 10 ding committees-Finance, Ways ant
Means, judiciary. Military. Naval. Militia. Com
nerce. Foreign Relations. Foreign Affairs
Blinking and Currency. Rivers and Harbors, ant
90 on through nearly the whole list in each
house.
As each body has grown in numbers. and botf
membership and the public business have ap
p-oachod the unwieldy stage, the business o
lrgislH lion has been In greater and greater de
gree performed by committees. To meet thii
necessity OF the work all OF them have been in
creased in numbers. and their reports and view
now carry q weight which generally controls oil
the floor. This fact. that SO much of the hare
AID continuous work OF Congress is done out q
sight OF the public. has much to do with the pre-
vailinG opinion that n body, the majority o
whose members ar" constantly and faithfully IA
work. does little beyond what appears in thu
talk of the daily sessions.
The single reflection that tho population ha
Increased f%ourfold since W.bster's day. and
thought OF the cmpirc Of States TINT In