New-York tribune., 1902-09-08

Under our system and traditions il is exactly
the reverse with House OF Representatives
In the first place a Representative must. by an
unwritten law, find his seat in the district in
which he lives In the next place. matter
how eminent able. he must be member IN
good and regular standing Of the political party
in the majority in that district; and. finally,
after he has succeeded in securing his seat. he
must abide in close political harmony with the
majority. In other words. he can never lose
sight OF party. The House of Representatives.
moreover is with us the field in which man
wins his political spurs. The moment Repre-
sentative there achieves any distinction he
aspires, and is promoted. He goes to the Sem
ate to the Cabinet. to the bench. to a foreign
appointment or to executive office. State and
national. He himself is always looking eagerly,
to that promotion. Take the Senate. for in
stance It is made up of men who have served q
certain number Of terms in the House Of Repre-
sentatives and there distinction and got
training They are then advanced From the
House of Commons there is no advance
Under such conditions how would it be pos
sible for any legislative body on earth to hold
the lead in national Influence? The milking
process is perpetually going on 1t Is also
process the exact reverse of what Is known as
the survival of the fttest': for whoever shows
himself 'ittest" is taken away. If he is indie
pendent in his political thought, and has the f,
courage of his convictions. he is thrown down !
at home. If there thrown down. no other con- !
stituency is open to him If. good party man. |
ne evinces a high order OF ability. he is pro- |
noted Senate. Cabinet, bench. diplomacy. all |
tempt him away. Our House of Representa- /
tives is consequently means: the House OF
Commons end. One is training school, /
the other storehouse.
All this has been Illustrated III a marked man |
ner in the experience OF Massachusetts during |
the last twenty years. The process we can !
there study both in its results and Its present |
working. Take. for instance. the two Senator'S |
Messrs. Hoar and Lodge Senator Hoar served |
four consecutive terms from the Worcester |
district; Senator Lodge represented for three |
terms the constituency of which his home at |
Nahant is part. better known the Lynn dis |
trict. Again, Governors Robinson and Green |
halge both distinguished themselves in the |
House. and both were taken from 1t to fill the /
executive chair. Later Mr.. Moody. having |
served in four Congresses. has just become Sec
retary of the Navy Under the British system. |
every one of those named yet living. would to-
day be in what with us theoretically occupies
a position corresponding to that of the House
of Commons in Great Britain.
All this is bad enough; but unfortunately for
the country and for the House itself the depict
ing process, so far experience is concerned
which in legislative bodies ranks next to ability
is intensified by second draft, more insdous
and scarcely less formidable than that al
ready described / refer to the growing popular
tendency to what is known as local rotation
which in Massachusetts has OF late years more
and more developed. and now threatens our
Congressional influence with disastrous results
AS the districts increase in size territorial |
claims assert themselves. Middlesex has ii now
Essex is entitled TO it next-and is Inpatient
Every one who has been In Washington or had |
to do with Congressional life and business |
knows that year by year. especially in the House
Of Representatives. seniority counts for more |
and more. Men ambitious of political prom
nence are eager to try their budding pinons in
the Congressional atmosphere. They fail to re-
alize the fact that man serving his first term
In the House counts. nearly as may be- for i
absolutely nothing. A cipher he IS. so to speak.