The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-25
KANSAS COAMENT
TRoUBLEs OF 4 srATEMAN

TROUBLES OF A STATEMAN
One of the duties which our repre-
sentatlVeS and senators in congress
can not evade is being the attorney,
the advocate and the errand boy for
those constituents who have any bust
ness with any departments of the
government. This duty is not fixed
by the constitution or the statutes
put 1t is decreed by custom and the
desire of said member for another
term. In some cases it is proper
enough but quite often this preroga-
tive of the constituents is overworked
and the congressman is kept from at
tending to his constitutional duties
by the demands on his time from
these aggressive and persistent con-
st1tuents. There is no congressman
at least none from Kansas, who is not
glad and should be, to push the
those whose interests are such that
they cannot afford to hire an attorney
and really need the influence of con-
gresham But every senator and rep
resentatlVe is kept running here and
there about Washington, collecting in
formation, aiding patent attorneys,
disturbing department officials and
seeking fayors from the executive
pranch of the government.
This is not fair and it often gets the
congressman into trouble. For ex-
ample a congressman from timber
state is besought by friends, apparent
that ruling or change of ruling on the
department. The congressman grabs
sandwich for a lunch, ruShes to the
interior department and asks the
faVor for his constituent. Perhaps a
year or two later somebody discovers
that this change was in the interest
OF the Spectator, although it did not
seem so at first. Then the record of
the department shows this congress-
man who urged it, and he is de-
nounced as hireling of a CRATER,
when in fact he was merely trying to
do a favor for a constituent he trusted
and whose honest Intentions he did
not question. Many a congressman
mas been ruined by such a charge, for
1t is almost impossible to distinguish
between his unintentional support of
a graft and the real thing. Much of
the wholesale denunciation of con-
gressmen and the criticism of their
work by the executive departments,
comes from this habit these constit-
uents have of making their represen-
tative or senator their free advocate,
a custom which no gresham can
change or eYade.
Let no self-respecting Kansas citi- |
zen who has his own evenings to him
self and does not have to endorse
for anybody unless he wants to, feel
enViouS of his Representative or sena-
tor. The life of an ordinary congress-
man is not much more enjoyable than |
a hot day in Hades or Oklahoma and |
1T is largely made SO by the demands |
of his constituents which are not
written in the laws.-Hutchinson
News.
ADMISSION OF NEW STATES.
Governor George Curry of New Mex
leo is authority for the statement that
both his territory and Arizona will be
authorized to enter the Union as states
by this session of congress. He says
that If such action is not taken he will
or a yrliI f1Iz
hold office under the party.
1t is sincerely to be hoped that the
two territories will be admitted into the
Union as states, for better reasons than
the fear of losing the party honor of
the governors vote and services. Both |
are entitled to the dignity they seek be-
cause they are big and strong and in
telligent enough to, become independ-
ent states and take care of themselves.
This is especially true in the case of
New Mexico, which has made such re-
markable progress during the past few
years in all those lines of effort that
give prominence to the most ambitious
of the states. immigration has poured
into her from every section of the
country, coming from the choicest ele- |
mentS in the citizenship of the nation. |
Her resources are developing with re-
markable rapidity and industries are
springing up in every section within |
her borders. Her climate is continually |
undergoing modification and so rapidly |
lndt agriculture Is -pIoAldoIe Ioody III
regions where 1t would not have been |
dreamed of twenty years ago.
AS for the threat of Governor Curry |
to not vote a Republican ticket or hold |
a Republican office hereafter unless |
admission is authorized, there is moth |
ing in that. All the voting the gov
ernor can do in territory will not hur |
anybody, and so far as the value of his |
party service of holding office is con- |
cerned. there are a great many men In |
New Mexico who can do that equally |
as good.-Wichita Eagle.