Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-02-23
Senatorial Responsibility.

oCudkSIl0t oSSPVuStbhbsJs
First and last there has been much
discussion of whether senator or rep
resentative should obey instructions
In 1925, when the presidential election
was impending in the house and Hon
John Scott of Missouri, sole represent
alive of that giant young common.
wealth, was about to cast the vote of
the state for John Quincy Adams con-
trary to the wishes of the state. Colo
mel Thomas Hart Benton. then sena-
tor in congress, wrote one of the finest
letters in political literature, protesting
against his so doing on the ground that
he should reflect the will Of his con-
stituents and predicting Scott's politi-
cal destruction If he voted for Adams,
and Scott was destroyed politically, ac-
cording to Benton's prophecy. Every
man and boy in America ambitious to
NIT Benton's letter to memory and act
upon it. But mirabile dictu! When
in 1S49 the Missouri legislature in
structed Benton how to vote on most
important matter he scornfully refused
to obey and went the same road that
Scott travelled before him.
To my mind the question presents no
difficulties whatever. 1t is the plain
and imperative duty Of any man. hold
ing representative position in any ca
pacity and in any body to honestly and
courageously reflect the sentiments Of
his people when those sentiments are
known to him or to resign and let some
body else do it If he cannot conscien,
tiously do so. That's precisely what
Senator John Quincy Adams and Sena-
tor John Tyler did at important juno
lures. They seemed to be ending their
political careers prematurely and
abruptly, but both lived to hold the
presidential office. No man is forced
to become representative or senator
in congress; quite the contrary. My
readers will please understand that /
am not arguing for a slavish obedience
to instructions by constituents or to a
blind obedience to their wishes, but
they have perfect right to have their
wishes voted and voiced, and our whole
theory of government is based on that
idea. If senator or representative
cannot conscientiously obey he always
has the perfect remedy of resignation
am fully aware that the idea is grow
Ing IN certain quarters that the crea-
ture may become greater than the ere.
ator, but that idea is erroneous. Ger
tainly there is no compulsion on a man
to continue to hold an Office given him
by the people when his opinions have
undergone a change and theirs have
not.
All this is predatory to the following
interesting editorial on the subject
from the Washington Post:
The discussion in the senate Wednesday
touched on one point that has never been
settied IN our country, and that is
whether senator is Obliged to obey tho
instructions of his state as expressed by
the legislature. Both the senator from
Texas and the senator from Colorado are
agreed that he should obey or resign.
That was the view Of the "old south" for
II savers OF state sovereignty" 1t was
the view of Stephen A. Douglas, who
spoke against proposition that he voted
TOT under instruction" Of the Illinois
legislature, and it Is curious to note that
on that occasion he was commended by
JEFFERSON Davis though the measure he
Yoted TOT and spoke against was the VIII
MOI proviso, that was az odious to the
south of that period as the Lodge cleo.
tion law was to the south Of twoscore
years later. Allen g, Thurman carried the
doctrine SO far that as a member of the
mouse of representatives he obeyed the
request" Of the Ohio legislature to cast
his vote against his party.
But greater than Douglas or Davis or
Thurman or Bailey, greater than 81 of
them together-the very foremost name
IN parliamentary history, ancient or mod
ern-even Edmund Burke, In his speech to
the electors of Bristol, said on the sub
3ect of instructions:
Certainly. gentlemen, 1t ought to be
the happiness and glory Of representa-
tive to live in the strictest union, the
closest correspondence and the most I'M
reserved communication with his constit-
uents. Their wishes ought to have great
weight with him, their opinions high re-
epect, their business unremtted attention.
~ Is his duty TO sacrifice his repose, his
pleasures, his satisfactons, to theirs and
above all, ever and In all cases, to prefer
their interests to his own. But his un-.
biased opinion, his mature Judgment. his
enlightened conscience, he ought not to
seeHass TO you, to any man or to ANY psf