The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-04-06
AsroRIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY.
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

''Why send errand boys, not statesmen to con
CREST" is question that the San Francisco Bulletin
asks and Interestingly answers The Bulletin ear
see no merit in the constitutional provisions of many
of the states requiring congressman to be resident
Of the district from which he is elected, contending
that the practice has made congress more of mes
senger service than meeting place for statesmen
Says our San Francisco contemporary:
Fault is found, not unreasonably, with that pro
vision of the constitutions of many of the states
which requires members of the house of representa-
tives to reside in the districts which they severaly
represent Bryce contrasts the American system
with the English system in this respect, and his find
mgs are very positively in favor of the English sys
tenn which permits constituency to elect any man II
wishes, no matter where he resides provided he is
willing Gladstone, for instance, rejected by one
constituency, had only to propose himself in another
where his party had reliable majority. In Eng
land therefore, it is impossible by gerrymandering
or by any other political tricks to shut irst-rate
man out of the legislative body His party is always
place or another so that his experience and talent
may be available for the party. The English con-
sttuences have no sentiment In favor of resident
of the borough. They prefer an illustrious English
man to a commonplace Liverpool man or Manchester
man or Bristol man. The consequence is that all
the great minds in English politics have seats il
parliament and are not afraid that their il
public life may be cut short at any time by giving
offense to some political BOSS
When one district by turning against him, can
stop rising public man in the full tilt of his career
that man. representing the district in congress, will
naturally think of serving the district than Of
serving the country at large He will spend his time
In getting places pensions and similar Accommodations
for his constituents and in otherwise fortfying him
self in the good will Of the people of his district
Many of the representatives are little more than
messenger boys at the capital for their constituents
They busy themselves by procuring free seeds for the
farmer, in procuring copies of Congressional Records
for that lawyer and in running on various errands
for the voters at home Such trivial activity pre-
vents the statesman from taking national view of
sort of representatives is to look upon themselves
the special advocates of their particular districts
They are pleased with any legislation that benefits
Buncombe county, however detrimental it may be to
the United States.
The qualification of residence in the district is
not required by law in all states, but in those states
In which the law permits the district to choose rep
resentative residing anywhere within the state
tOm binding as any statute, DEGREES that the rep
resentative must come from the body of the district
Consequently, discussion of this subject is purely
academic for change in the law would not be likely
to effect change in the practice. The electors have
been trained to vote for neighbor until it has be-
come habit We take parochial view Of the cleo
tion Of representatives and we appraise a man s
achievements in congress not according to what he
has done for the nation, but according to what he
has done for the district.
There is something to be said in favor of the resi-
dence qualification At least it secures the election Of
representatives who are acquainted with the con-
ditons and needs Of their several districts and who
may be held to account more ea,l than stranger
by their constituents But these two good points of
the present system do not balance the grave faults
of the system The house of representatives through
the operation of this system, has become convo-
cation Of attorneys in fact, each representing spec
la interest and has lost most of its constitutional
character as dignifed legislative assembly taking
thought for the welfare of the nation.