The Washington times., 1904-03-09
General Bris,oW'S Latest.
Some Reflections Suggested by a Pc
ru5al CT his List of Criminals"

ru5aI Of his List of Criminals"
Nothing Is more startling-nothing.
we may say, is more humiliating-
than the petty character Of the
graft engaged IN by members OF
Congress, from the highest down to
the lowest, in connection with postal
affairs. It would really seem. from
a perusal of General Bristow's report.
as If TO do" the Government, to tap
the public treasury, TO pre-empt for
a constituent convenient seat at the
trough. to secure for his district a
proper share Of the plumber. consti-
tuted the chief object of a Congress
mans life, his one ambition. the sole
and only purpose Of his official exist
ence. We say the disclosures made
IN the report, which Mr. Overstreet's
committee has reluctantly been forced
to make public, are humiliating, but
we hasten to add that they viii not
have been made in vain, if they shall
cause an evil to be corrected with
which the public service has been af-
fiicted these many years.
What are the duties OF legislator.
anyway? Are they to run the er-
rands Of constituents, to secure berths
for his checkers" and to see that his
--deestrick" IS not forgotten when tie
lid is taken off the barrel and the pork
Is distributed? Or has the country
at large some claims upon the tine
and the talents of the honorable meni-
Der from Waxem, which IN deceney
he Is bound to respect? II may be
argued. of course, that under our sys-
( tenn Of government system which
makes a fetch Of home rule-it Is I'M
possible TO get TIE brightest minds OF
the country to share IN the delibera-
tions Of Congress. That, in a meas
ure, Is true. But, while the Constitu-
ton demands that a member Of the
House Of Representatives shall be q
resident only of the State which sends
/ him, we 20 a step further and permit
the unwritten law of the land to
exact Of him that he shall also be a
resident of the district which he as
pires to represent. We, therefore
put a premium upon mediocrity. We
I practically ordain that a constituency
/ by nature or otherwise ill-developed
shall be represented only by one OF
.its kind, and that a surplus Of first
class talent elsewhere shall not be
come available for the benefit Of the
larger and more important interest,
Of the State as a whole.
The immediate result Of all this. OF
! course, Is that the average legislator
/ legislates, in the first instance, to Sc
Icure his reelection to Congress; ii
/ the second. in the interest and for the
beEefit of his district; and, in tn,
third only for the good of the coun
try at large A system which pro
duces that sort Of statesman, pro
duces also very efficient errand boy,
and "erafters" 1t likewise produce,
a type in public life. which IS NOR,
distinguished for its mastery of thu
science Of addition, division, and -
lence" than for It's devotion to duty
and love of country. 1t produces mcr
/ that make the Machens and Tyner
and Beayerses possible. 1t produce
An atmosphere in the public servie,
compared with which the miasmati,
ivapors Of the Upas tree are as harm
less and innoeuous zephyrs.
We may not be able to abolish that
system. but we may mitigate some OF
the evils which result from a too strici
adherence TO it, Why should II mol
be made a penal ofense for n mem
Der of Congress to ask for The APP