The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-07-31


- man ought - acccpt a public 81
rr. unless he gives the public III
tim, and his best thought. It Is tos
much Is say. perhaps. that > public
or. Al shall abandon All his private
interests when he Is elected 10 Office
b.. II is not too much 70 require HIN
r. taudon every private interest thai
tak.~ his time and thought from his
public duty. an u decline any en-
pInyment or association that may con
fIet with his public duty.
.tast If our Lawmakers are lawyers
1T ought not - b. demanded that I
man elected to Congress shall snrren-
der his practise. Tor hc might bc re-
ItIraE in a Cow years. Iik. an othello.
uith his occupation gone. but it ought
t. ne demanded that H. shall not ae-
c.vt r~etaincrs from individuals %
corporations that may be Interested in
llog:e'ation upon which he must "a.
In his defense from the attack made
uron him BY Mr.. David Graham
philips. charging the Texan senator
with being in sympathy with the in
| terests' that control the Senate, MI.
Bailey indignantly denounced thu
statement rs false n said:
II Gcepiso those nnhlic mon who
think they nave 10 remain poor in OF
der 10 be considered honest. am not
one of Thorn. If my constituents want
q man who Is willing To- 60 10 the
roorh"use in his old age in order T.
stay in the Senate daring his middle
| age they VIII hay" to find somebody
else. | intend to make every dollar |
can honestly make without ne"lcctine
or interfering with my public duty.
and Their" is no other man in this
ountry who would not do the same
if n" has got sense enough To keep 4
churahyard."
Tn his righteous indignation, Mr..
Railey went q step too far. There Is
no reason why he should "~dcspise"
that class of Senators who were Sc
Jealous of giving all their time to the
public that they thought they had no
right to turn aside to make money.
Such men arc to be honored. Put
they have no right to "despisc" men in
public life who nave the talent to add
to their income from private business.
Not a few Congrcssnlen do this who
III CO. ott ~ III punt Ntol CN
are the men who never make a penny
except their salary. But, in accepting
fees for their appearance in the.
courts. members of Congress ought to
refuse to appear for any corporation
that may come to Congress for fayors
or be Interested in legislation. Can a
Senator have such corporations for
clients, and become rich through
them. and be true to his public duty
A Congressman has accepted an an
nual retainer for $4,000 a year to serve
the whole public. Ii he accepts a fec
to serve any concern whose interests
may bring it in conflict with the in
tercsts of his constituents, what will
he do in cases of conflict? Experience
shows that in most cases he will
serve the one client rather than all
the public.
We do not like Mr.. Bailey's poor
house" reference. No Senator has
found it necessary to go to the poor
house in his bic age in order to serve
his people in middle age. His learn
ing and his experience have qualified
him for usefulness and we have never
known an eX-COngressman who could
not earn q living when h< retired from
The public service. OF course if he
has acquired tastes that are expensive,
il luxuries are essential to him, he
not make enough to indulge
them. And if his happiness depends
living upon an e~Xtrayagant scale, |
he has obtained the wrong view of
life and is not we'll suited to serve a
constituency that believe in the simple
constitutional governmen of Whici
Mr.. Bailey is the most able defender
in the Senate. A Senator who keeps
his eye open and is too anxious to
make money is not the best man t.
represent his people.