The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984, 1906-06-08
Washington Letter.

House of Representatives last week in
speaking Of the habit that has grown
up In recent years of great many Con
gressmen and Senators leaving Wash
ngton and neglectiug their public du-
ties to make a fight for denomination.
admire French's pluck. If man
comes here and works like be does and
can't be renominated without fight,
the sooner he finds it out the better"
continued the worthy member.
At this time of the year there are
from ten to fifty members of Congress
absent every day from their duties at
Washington. They run out for day
or two to confer with their supporters,
or sometimes they spend month or
two in stumping their district against
an opponent. And the practice is not
confined to the House. 1t is often in
dulged in by prominent members of the
Senate. Two we'll known cases of this
kind have occurred during the present
Congress, Senator Berry OF Arkansas.
who has been in the Senate Is years
was absent from his duties for four
months this session, trying in vain to
keep his Seat During all this time his
duties were neglected, and his constit-
uents and the country suffered to the
the extent that his services we're of
value. Senator Carmack of Tennessee,
one OF the most prominent men in the
Senate has been away from Washington
during this entire term, except that he
came short time ago to make speech
"for home consumption" and left for
Tennessee the following day He spent
the whole session in an effort to retain
his seat against Bob Taylor of fiddle |
and bow fame. Carmack was defeated. !
Doubtless the fact that he looked upon
his own success as of more Importance
than his public duties had something
to do with his defeat.
But to return to the point of the
story. Mr.. French is in constant at
tendance during the sessions of the
House, taking care os the interests of
the people he represents. AS the only
of new State, and one
requiring much legislation, he receives
and thousands of letters re-
lating to various matters all of which
must be attended to. Should he follow
the example of many members of both
The Senate and the House and neglect
his public duties as a representative in
order to look after his personal affairs
As candidate, the interests, he is sent
here to protect, would suffer ia conse-
4uence. Mr.. French naturally desires
4 denomination by his party For this,
however, he eventually intends to trust
to the people of his state, whose inter-
ests he is elected and commissioned to
represent.
Legislation in the Senate pertaining
% Idaho is to great extent being held
up during the enforced absence of j
Senator Hepburn from the Senate on
account of illness. He is still very sick (
md it may be week or two before he |
S able to attend to his duties again. {
Senator Hepburn was very busy men {
md introduced great many bills on ,
'arious subjects in which the people of {
lis state are interested. The passage i
# number of these bills was secured I
~ him before he was taken sick, but l
great many measures in which he j
s interested are still pending in the q
senate. Some of them may be taken /
Up during his absence, yet it is very i
Unfortunate that he cannot be present '
o aid in their consideration. As he is s
daho's only Administration Member t
n the Senate, it is natural that admin q
tration measures effecting Idaho will t