Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1902-05-08
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
The Numbers Limited and Congress
men Cannot Supply Demand.

Hon. Champ Clark, member of Con-
gress from this district, sends the
LEDGER the following which will be
Of interest to all who request public
documents of any kind;
1t is strange to what an extent the
impression prevails that representa-
tive or Senator can obtain and send
out, free of cost, any number of cop
les, however great, of any public docu-
ment or book. 1t may save a great
many people a great deal Of trouble
and worry to state the facts once
more; they are as follows: Each repre-
sentative and Senator has a certain
quota, usually twenty-six copies Of
each book or document, free. If he
gets any more he pays the government
for them q price fixed by the public
printer which insures the government
profit. There is a great hullabaloo
every once in awhile about represen-
tatiyes and Senators selling their quota
Of books, seeds, ETC., and pocketing the
proceeds. No doubt there are such
cases, but they are scarce as hens
teeth, like angels yisits-few and far
between. And it would disgrace any
representative or senator known to do
such a thing. 1t much more frequent
ly happens that they go down into
their own pockets and buy books, etc,
for their constituents when called on
for them after their quotas are ex-
hausted.
OF certain books, such as the blue
book, each representative is entitled
to only one copy.
He is entitled TO thirty-one copies Of
the Daily Congressional Record, In
which all speeches and proceedings are
printed free. If he gets any more, he
pays foE them, and he pays for all his
own speeches printed in pamphlet
form at SO much per thousand, the
price depending on the number Of
pages. If one desires a large number
of a certain speech, it is considerably
cheaper to have them printed at
private printing Office than at the
government printing office, noUwith-
standing the sact that the govern
ment printing Office has the type
already set up as 1t appeared in the
Congressional Record, which proves
conclusively that the government
makes a good profit from printing
speeches in pamphlet form.
Representatives and senators swap
documents, books, ETC., occasionally,
as what is in great demand in one
locality would be of no interest what
ever in another. For example, agri.
cultural reports are drug in New
York City, while some other public
document is in great demand,
The foregoing remarks apply to the
seed question likewise. Each member
has a certain quota which he can dis
pose Of as be pleases. If he hasn't
enough, he may be able to swap part
Of his books and documents to some
city member for more seed. Apropos
of seed the Washington Post says;
Representative Roberts, of Massa-
chusetts, yesterday received a poetical
Acknowledgement from a constituent
in return for a package Of seeds.
Here is what hisgrateful friend said in
rhyme:
o, Roberts, Ernest Roberts, in d. c.
far away,
I've received from you letter, or a
package, l should say,
And puzzled am l greatly to find out
how may
Thank you for this favor which came
postpaid to-day!
Did you mistake my calling and, not
meaning any harm,
Think that l was toiling upon some
backwoods farm
Where l needed seed for onions, for
cucumbers and beans
And a good recipe for raising prime
dandelion greens?
/ wonder IL you are obliged TO send
these seeds by law
The seed for grape and rye and corn,
the first / ever saw.
II not, to do it would be a parliament
taro abuse;
Then send the kind Of seed that would
raise them i'm the fuice