The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-02-05
SHOULD A CONGRESSMAN BIZ
ELECTED FOR LIFE?
if SO. he SHOULD LEAD-N0T FOL.
LOW OTHERS.
A Case In Point.

Juukc 6cuOI tnuOIccmclt
Sims speech advocating life-terr
for Congressman, raises the ahoy
question. But the examples cite
are only those OF Leaders in som
branch OF the science OF government
The lamented Blue Jeans William
OF the ID Ind. district, gained dis
iinction as a safe Leader the frs
three months he was in Congress
by cutting out a number of illega
expenditures. Speaker VI. c. Ker
placed himself at the front by hi
hard study of tariff discrimination
before the close Of the two years o
his FIRST term. Others were, also
Leaders, but these are well known
10 Indianiars.
Has Judge Zenor shown any quail
titles of a Leader during bis eigh
years? Has be introduced a -ing.
Act which would benefit the rnird
district, the State Of Indiana. or the
country at large? True, he has mace
some speeches, but always after 9th
ers had blazed the way and hi.
votes were always dictated to him by
a caucus, in which his conservative
disposition would not permit him to
even offer advice, let alone lead. AS
q Judge he accustomed himself TO
be led in his decisions, and informed
by advocates who had burned the
midnight oil" in studying, while be
took life easy. The formed habit
has followed him in his COMPRESSION
a. career, so be never leads-no mat
ter how much the Common People
OF the third district need a well in.
formed advocate 10 formulate their
wants. and present them. A strik-
ing instance of this strong habit has
cropped out in his present contest
for a fifth nomination.
From Jan. IL to Jan. IA, Hon W.
L. Cox made four speeches in Perry
county, during which be vigorously
advocated government aid for build
ing public highways. He argued
that, as the government is extending
rural free mail routes all over the
the country, at a cost Of twelve to
fifteen million dollars annually; and
improving rivers and harbors, at a
cos, Of from thirty to forty millions
per year; and was appropriating ten
10 twelve million dollars each year
for fine public buildings in cities
and is preparing to dig tie Panama
canal, on foreign territory, at a cost
appropriated Of $500, 900,
COO, it could well afford, for the
benefit OF farmers generally, to assist
in the construction OF such public
highways a. the people vote to i'm
prove, by sum equal to the amount
voted by any township for that pur-
pose. In Indiana this tax is limited
10 four per cent. OF assessed value,
and this does not furnish a sufficient
siaount 10 improve highways prop
srly in all localities. The construc.
hon could then be placed under u |
5. engineers, who are now drawing
salaries as a portion OF the army,
without being called on for practical
service.
The arguments OF Mr.. Cox we're
made known 10 Judge Zenor, and
On Jan. 10Th, after Cox had driven
him to it, he made speech in Con-
gress, or obtained permission 10 get
1 printed in the Record as though
i was made, advocating goyernnsa.
aid for building public roads II he
was Leader would be have waited
,sven years, for an opponent to bring
/ up first? II il Is a good thing.
Why did he not call public attention
20 IT long ago, and not wait till ter
days after Cox had advocated it and
friends advised hin it was popular /
Was he afraid to make that speech
III Cox had blazed the way? The
lime is here when the Gibraltar De-
nocracy OF the Third district does
lot want a man who always follows
n Congress. 1t demands Leaders, \
men who are fighters Tor the right, I
aggressive and fearless, who when
hey see q good thing for their dis.
net, State or Nation-one that will
'enefit the farming interest, as well
IS other people, are not afraid, and
vill not be backward in advocating
/. Such men will command influ /;
nee, even II in a minority, and the ,
district will be benefited. Such a
nan, beyond all doubt, is Hon. w.