Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-30
DISSATISFIED NEW ENGLAND.


The steady progress of al other sec
tons of this country in the develop
nent of political influence, literary emf
nence and material prosperity is be-
coming alarming to New England If
general sentiment there is in accord
with the occasional statements of some
of her influential newspaper writers on
the subject. Time was, when that sec
ton dictated, largely, government poll
dcy, both foreign ana domestic, without
regard to the rights or interests of
other sections, and as is usually the
case with individuals or nations, pre-
dominance once attained is not lost
without reluctance.
In an argument for special legislation
to all New England to recover It's for
mer position, the Boston Herald finds.
In recent statistics. evidence of the de-
cadance OF that corner OF the country.
For example, national banks increased
in other sections In number, capital,
deposits and resources while IN New
England they have decreased In all
these respects since the beginning of
1904 Manufacturing has not kept pace
there, with the west and south, the lat
ter having, in part, absorbed the textile
industry and the former appropriating
other lines OF industry formerly held by
that portion alone.
This special legislation" argument
Is a weak one and is In strong contrast
with the expressions which enanated
from that quarter half century ago.
New England must bear In mind one
OF the first lessons taught to the child
In school which, when applied to the
government of nations is that certain
sacrifices must be made by each part
of the country TO the end that the whole
nation may receive the greatest bene-
fit.
CORGRESSMEN AS WALKING DELEGATES
There has been considerable criticism
OF the excited fashion in which the
house met the Bristow report. This
criticism has been both adverse and
defensive of the sudden heat and angry
reprisal the report evoked from the
congressman, included in its repri
mand and other members who felt that
the dignity ard privileges of house
,,,a,, here bod haan accailad JVhatba,.
or not the facts justified the report Of
the report justified the angry remon-
Strances of the congressman, the incl
dent called the attention of the country
to conditions which, so far as possible,
should be modified and amended We
have drifted far from the customs of
the fathers.
The sting in the Bristow report was
salutary. 1t reached thru the congress
men to their constituencies. 1t was the
walking delegate idea as applied to
congressional incumbents by their con-
stituents that was assailed by the Bris-
tow report, not the individual con-
gresham 1t is growing to be a ques-
ton of what the representative can
get by hook or crook for his district,
question of army posts. public build
ings and the various other varieties Of
pork obtainable by shrewdness and
insistence. more than by statesman
ship or sincerity. If congressman are
wolves, they usually represent a wolf
ish constituency. The very newspapers
that are most ready TO criticise and
condemn on the grounds of the Bris-
tow report are quick to feature the sue
cessful efforts of Congressman Blank in
securing an addition to the clerical
force of the postoffice.
The people are back of the whole
matter. The rural districts threaten
the congressman if rural mail routes
are not forthcoming. The cities make
public buildings the price of their sup
port. Every country postoffice sends
up its clalnor. There is a chuckle over
the whole district when a piece of the
pork is landed, a shadow of chagrin
over failure.
The congressman protects his flu