Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-09-06

ing out the Objectionable features.
The bill was passed unanimously. "
Mr.. Nelson set forth his reasons
for voting against the last bill above
mentioned. ~ voted with the minor
ity against the passage Of the bill.
However, it passed and became law.
Perhaps | was mistaken III my position,
but having resolved 10 vote according
to the dictates or my conscience.
voted as | have told you.
In closing his address and summing
up his own record, Mr.. Nelson SAID:
1t was not my desire to review my
votes but 10 illustrate some phases
of what | found in congress. | will
be pleased however, if you will look
them up, for. conceding a mistake or
two, on the whole 1 am rather proud
OF Il ern myself. There are two
reasons why voter should look into
the record OF his representative. The
one is that if the member has voted
right he may receive deserved an
prevail, the other is that if he has
voted wrong, he may be turned out
of office. Bad members would be mure
careful how they voted if they thought
that more than one out of thousand
voters would look up their record.
sin the House there is little oppor-
tunIty for the talker. The effective
speech are two, three, or five minutes
long, by members of the committees,
or other we'll Informed legislators
There are a few takers, whom | do
not care to name, who are bores be-
cause OF their desire to "butt in
with speech On every occasion. They
are heartily dIsliked, and their in
fuence, if they ever had any, has been
completely destroyed by this craving
to speechify. The member who comes
to the front steadily Is the member
who is in attendance, who carefully
reviews the reports, who studies the
departments Of the Government, who
knows exactly their needs, who reads
up on public questions IN detail, who
attends upon his committee meetings,
in short, who looks after the steady
routine of work, making no particular
effort to shine as bright, eloquent
star. The takers are not the workers.
Speech makers, as a rule are merely
time killers The legislator who has
an ungovernable craving to talk is a
nuisance in the House of Represent
atives, and those who defend the rules
say, that but for the wise limitations
placed upon the tongue Of the eternal
talker, business would be impossible.
1.-THE supreme test of member s
fitness to represent his constituency
Is,-How does he vote? If he is in his
seat day after day and votes right,
he is first class member.
"For campaign purposes various
false and unfair tests are set up.
Right voting is the only proper test.
Above al else, | would not care to
be counted among those in Congress
who are known as "wind jamers'.
Sin conclusion, let NE define the
limitations and requirements as | found
sham, and point out what constitutes
success as a member If to make
good as member of congress means
to secure high committee assignments
the first or second term; if to make
good means the securing of a chair
manship In one, two, or three terms
If to make good means the making OF
many speeches. If to make good means
the breaking down, single HANDED, OF
established parliamentary laws and
precedents, then success will not come
to the new member; then he will be
unable TO make good.
''But if district is satisfied with a
member who IS in his seat regularly
and never lodges vote, who aims
to study every question with care );
who is exercising independent
| Judgment in and out of congress :;
who has but one purpose-to discover
what is right; who aims to be broad
in his views, charitable in Ills judg
ment of his fellows, loyal to his dis
trict and yet just to all the rest of the
country, then such new member may
we'll have an abiding confidence in his
Soul that he can and will do guod.
Between the people and their repre-
sentative there is an implied contract.
If the member does his best and
attends to his duties, he is entitled
to the trust and confidence of his dis
trIct for a reasonable period. He is
entitled to fair chance. In return
the representative must recognize
that in being honored by the district as
the trustee of the legislative power
of two hunderd thousand people, it is
not for him to exploit his Office in his
own interests, but to give to the
people of his district and to the
whole country the fullest measure of
service.
MARRIAGE Licenses.