Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-08

schemes for the depletion of the
treasury are always possible; but the
difficulties attending the success of
such combinations increase in strong
ratio with the enlargement OF the
membership. Large bodies are not
easily corrupted. They are always in
closer touch with the masses and
respond more quickly to popular con-
viction. The confidence which peo-
pie feel in a legislative body rests in no
small degree upon the strength of its
membership and the wide diversity of
the interests represented There is
nothing which constitutes so strong a
bulwark OF honest government as the
fierce light of publicity which beats,
through a large membership in popu-
lar Legislative branch, upon every
measure for the expenditure of the
public money. Representatives in such
an assembly are directly from the peo-
pie and accountable to them for the
manner in which they discharge the
important trusts cOnfided to their
keeping.
The work of representative in this
House has increased vastly during the
last few years. which have witnessed
a stupendous growth of our country in
all departments of material progress.
A statement recently issued from the
Treasury Department calls attention to
the astounding fact that the excess of
our exports over our imports for the
fiscal years 1898, 1899, and 1900. was
nearly five times as great as the total
OF such excess for the previous l07
years of our country's history. The
United States has become a recognized
world power. In every avenue of in
Gustrial enterprise the American peo-
pie have pushed out in recent years
with an energy and a grasp that have
been at once the wonder and the admit
ration of the world. All this growth
and development has put additional
work upon the representatives, of the
people in this Capital. and the whole
tendency of the times has been To load
the members of this House with a
burden of detail which has steadily
narrowed the time which they were
physically able to give to the great
national questions constantly coming
up and calling for close and careful
attention.
| l know that there is always n ten
| dency in a Legislative body, especially
among those who have had long eX-
perience in its service and who have
been more or less entrusted with the
| direction of its affairs, to guard jeal-
| ously its powers and privileges. to be
| diStrustful of changes and to cling
| tenaciously to the old, established Or
der of things. While this feeling is
| not unnatural. it may readily be car
| ried to extremes. and when it reaches
point where those who entertain 1t
are willing to overlook or ignore the
facts of progress, it may easily become
an impeachment or menace to the
| public welfare. The movement for a
| contracted House of Representatives
| an assembly making no attempt to
| keep pace with the nations growth
and needs-has had. SO far as | have
observed, its source and it's inspiration
in this Capitol and not with the
American people. The people of this
| country demand and they ought to
have adequate and efficient represen-
tation here. and every measure that
tends to widen the distance between
the individual citizen and his repre-
sentative in Washington is n contrac-
ton OF popular power and privilege
and out of harmony with the spirit of
our institutions.
So far from being a source of weak
ness strong popular assembly is a
source of strength. as the experience
of other nations has amply demon
Strated.
/ submit the following table showing
the representation in a number of the
leading countries of the world and the
ratio which it bears in each instance
to population: