Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-06-25
WORK ALMOST DONE.
Congress Ready for Adjournment
at an Early Date.
But the Orators Are Kept Busy MAX
ing Campaign Speeches and
"CheVyinE the Rag" for
Partisan Eject.
[specIal washington letter.


~ HE work of the national house
of representatives is substan-
TALLY complete; but there is to
be a lot of talking done in the great
hall during the few days preceding ad-
journment.
There is a great deal of difference
between public talking and actual de-
batting. The difference is well defined
between genuine discussion of public
measures and talking for talks sake,
in order to be prepared for political
campaign. The statesmen of all par
ties are guilty of campaign oratory in
congress, weeks and months before
the beginning of work on the hustings.
The real work of the house of repre-
sentatives is done, each year, when
revenue bills are passed and appropria-
tion bills have been adopted. After that
all speech making is done for the pur-
pose of filling the Congressional Rec
ord with political material for distri-
button over the country during the
congressional campaigns. Under the
existing laws all speeches which ap-
pear in the Congressional Record can
be sent through the mails free of
charge, under the frank of a member
of congress The political managers
have tens of thousands of speeches
printed at the government printing
office, where the rate is merely nom
inal. The speeches are put up in en-
velopes, singIy or by the score, and the
franked signature of some member of
congress is stamped on each envelope
by some employe at political head
quarters. Then other employees ad
dress the envelopes to the people in
each congressional district; and the
United States mail carries tons of
matter thus at great public expense.
And this custom Will continue as long
as the people themselves send to con-
gress men who thus impose upon the
public treasury, by reason of public
credulity.
The constitution devolves upon the
house of representatives the duty of
raising revenue for the support of
the government, and also requires
that all appropriation bills shall
originate in that body. The senate
may concur or amend all such bills.
but when the original bills are sent
from the house to the senate the real
work of the house, the necessary
work, is completed.
While it is constitutionalIy neces-
sary for the house of representatives
to remain in session until the senate
shall have completed it's branch of
the work of national legislation, the
members of the house take occasion
to attend to their individual polit-
zeal affairs, hence the needless and
almost endless amount of campaign
oratOry at this season of every cam
paign year.
The senate is a deliberate body.
where there is no rule limiting de
bate. One senator may talk every
day and talk by the hour if he
chooses, while others sometimes
make no speech for year or moro
Usually the speeches which are made
in the senate are intended for his
torical effect, as we'll as for ut
political use.
Visitors listening to debates in
either branch of the congress can see
only the surface of procedure. They
do not realize that back of the Wis
ible senator's and representative are
the invisible millions of people-the
people to whom the uttered speeches
are to be sent in printed form. But
the men on the floor have in their