The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-05-29
DUTIES OF A
CONGRESSMAN
Hon. Chas. N. Fowler, Member
from This District, Writes In
tereStingly on This Theme
In THE FIRST ISSUE OF TRUTH"

LIN HE FlNOl lOOUE UT lNUlH
Truth is the title Of an attract
i've weekly just launched in Newark,
and according to it's editor is to be
the spokesman of the man without
a pull" AS feature of its first issue
it has very interesting article from
the pencil of Congressman Fowler, OF
this district, on "The Duties OF a
New Jersey Congressman"
Mr.. Fowler describes the congress
man as "the friend at court, the
agent, the attorney of those of his
constituents who have any business
with the Federal Government. He is
expected to secure their rights and to
right their wrongs: to aid their am
billions and to promote their pros
perity. He is the distributor of
government favors; and the govern
ment INDUCES in gift enterprises
which not only would horrify Jeffer-
son, but were never included in the
more liberal philosophy of Hamilton.
The Congressman finds that the dis
tribution of postmasterships is not
the ''snap" it is generally painted.
He says:
"But where the city member may
have one postmaster to designate,
the country member will have a
hundred; and the smaller the office,
the fiercer the strife to fill it, and the
more intense the feeling when it has
been filed. Western members, es-
pecially, each of whose districts may
comprise dozen vast, rectangular,
agricultural counties, are apt to have
a postmaster to appoint on every day
in the year, including Sundays. In
such circumstances, the Congressional
life sis not happy one, at least not
altogether happy. 1t may be said,
too, that western members have far
more pension cases under their super
vision. When the Civil War was
concluded, thousands of veterans
took up the fertile fields of Nebraska
and Kansas. Thus, while member
from New York city may have two
hundred claims requiring his atten-
ton, the Kansas member will have
five thousand.
'"Twelve Thousand packages of seeds
are allotted yearly to each member
Of Congress for distribution among
his constituents. This quota seems
enormous to the city member, who
really doesn't know what to do with
them until the country member comes,
fairly entreating him to give, lend
sell or trade of his plenty. In some
way or another, many members from
the rural districts manage to diStri-
butte three or four times the amount
of their quotas, and still their con-
stituents cry for more. Government
documents, too, most in demand, are
those dealing with agricultural sub
jects And thus, while the city
member has a surfeit of Horse
Books and Cow Books and Gag
ricultural Year Books" the country
member is fairly starving for them. -
The civil service requirements seem
to be blessing to Congressman, for
Mr.. Fowler AYERS that 'civil service
reform has done much for the preser-
Walton of the Congressman's sanity
and his personal comfort by combining
applicants for Office within certain
rigid limits"
"Much has been said," continues
Mr.. Fowler, "and said truly about
the surprising influence of the Senate
1t is legislative body, unique for it's
dignity, tenure and deliberateneSs.
1t tittingly represents the majesty of
the States-those great Common
wealths that voluntarily join in max
ing the great Nation. But the
House is the tribunal the voice of
the people; and as the people grow,
50, too, does it grow with them.
Formerly each member represented a
constituency of 10000; now each one
represents 100000 Formerly, the
present Statuary Hall in the Capitol
was ample for the business of the
House; now the Hall of Representa-
tives is crowded, to the detriment of
the public; and the government is
about to erect a great office-building,
covering a square of land, in order
that members may be enabled to
perform properly and well those
duties which their constituencies
require of them.
1.-The Senate, truly, often has the
last word, and it is sometimes long
time, too, before it is spoken; but the
House has the first word, and it is
spoken there as quickly as the people
demand. Important legislation must
necessarily be slow. 1t is hard to
find the least common denominator
of the varied and conflicting interests
of seventy millions of people; but it is
the initiative that counts, the pur-
pose to do that sustains; and in this,
the creative part of legislation, the