Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-04-03
know every day what parliament has
dona the day before.

done the day before.
The difference is caused by two
facts: England has but one center
and that is London. We have New
York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco
New Orleans and many others. Their
we publish at public expense a journal
of all we say and do, and make such 6
waste-basket of "The Record" that few
people have the patience to look at il
regularly.
If we left the history of our doings
to private enterprise, the public would
insist upon and demand and obtain
regular reports, condensed so as to be
within the scope of human endeavor
which would be a good thing for both
congress and the country. AS it is
now it is rather a forlorn territorial
legislature which is not as we'll report
ed as the congress of the United States
speak, of course, of regular daily re-
ports and not of special topics.
All legislative bodies suffer in pub
lie estimation, because of the perpetual
criticism to which they are obliged to
submit without any chance or oppor'
tunity of reply. Hence the popular
idea of such bodies is much lower
than is just.
A representative body has to do the
best it can to reconcile with the terms
of it's proposed action all the prejudices
of the whole people, and to take into
account their wrong views as well as
their right views. Hence it is that
individual members seldom are able to
vote anything more than that modif'
cation of their own ideas which it is
possible to enact. Of course, this falls
far short of the freedom of an edito-
rial, or a sermon, or the speech of q
reformer.
Where things are done in the mind
only, the best can always be done
where things are done in world full
of conflicts and opposing opinions, re-
suits fall far short of the ideal best.
MORALE OF THE HOUSE.
That there are legislatures which
are corrupt, I hardly doubt; but that
many of them are corrupt, I do not
believe. So far as the house of repre-
sentatives of the United States is con-
cerned, I quite agree with what
Samuel J. Randall once said to me
after 20 years of experience: 81 be-
lieve I could name on the fingers OF
one hand all the men I suspect could
be bribed."
Of course, all men are influenced by
the opinions and power of other men,
and representative body is no excep-
ton. So, also, men like to represent
the views of their people, for thereon
depends the continuance of their Off,
cial life. Of course, good many OF
them in times of excitement are delu-
ded by mere volume of noise, and
mistake stage thunder for the roar OF
heavens artillery but as rule they
are reasonably patriotic, and quite
capable of being right when to be 80
is dangerous.
If you will reflect moment you
will see that members of congress.
from the nature of things, are as rule,
men Of standing in the communi.
ties in which they live. Something
has caused each one of them to be
prominent among the 10000 or SO, ,00C
males over the age of 21 whom they
represent. That something may not
always be intellect. 1t certainly il
not always riches, or birth or control
of great industrial enterprise. In any
event each member has run the CANT
let of nominating convention and o.
an election afterward.
Probably each congress is the peer
of its predecessor in the relation which
it bears to the intelligence of the coun
try. II is true that the growth in
wealth and expenditure in this coun'
try has drafted into industrial and
commercial enterprises many able mer
who have preferred riches to legisla'
tive work and it's. fame. Many Of
these men would in the earlier days
have made politics profession.
But there is yet glamor enough sur
rounding public life, though it has been
stripped of riches, to induce many
able men to strive for its honors and
endure its disadvantages. These men
thus made members of congress, while
they are, as a rule, men of standing
education and ability, are limited by
the wishes of their constituents and
the general progress of the nation.
In some of the large cities the con
gressional representation may and does
partake of the degeneracy of municipal
politics but even there men like Sam
uel ]. Randall, VIM. D. Kelley and s.
s. Cox, to speak only of those dead
quite often come to the front and &c
far toward redeeming their time.
THE ASSEMBLED HOUSE.
The appearance of the house of rep
resentatives when assembled is not
very much in its favor. 1t seems and
lis tumultuous and disorderly collec'
ton of men, except on those rare oc'
casions when a great debate eliminates
in the speeches of the foremost men
Then docorous silence reigns. The
galleries cease whispering, and the
members sit intent in their seats.
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