Arizona republican., 1909-07-21
A MATTER OF HOLDING A JOB

The Hon. William E. Borah of Idaho, who is serving the first half of his first term in the United States senate, seems to have his job on the brain. A few days ago he was a member of a deputation of congress- men who stormed the White House to tell President Taft that if his free raw material program was car ried out every senator and every representative who supported it would be retired by his constituents at the close of his term.
 Again as late as day before yes terday, MT. Borah declared that if the free raw material program was adopted, some of the western senators would be afraid to go home and could not expect to continue holding their positions"
 The senator from Idaho has, an improper conception of his duties and of his relation to his job. It was not created for him but theoretically he was raised up for it. All legislation is presumably enacted for the good of a majority of the citizens of the country who have no concern what ever as to the fate of the legislators. There is nothing due them, but their best and most earnest efforts are due the country in consideration of the emoluments of their offices and the additional honor and prestige which go with them.
 The foremost question is not whether senators can continue hold ing their positions, but it is whether the best interests of the greatest number would be served by free raw materials.
 This leads us to another matter about which a good deal of error has been uttered-the effect which the tariff bill will have upon the fortunes of congressman. No doubt great many lame ducks" will be seen after the next election floundering on both sides-that is to say, among the up- ward revisionists on one side and the democrats and progressive republi- cans on the other.
 But we do not think that, in any event, the slaughter will be so terrible as many now imagine. Every repre- sentative is feeling carefully of the pulse of his constituency and every senator has in mind the more va ried and sometimes conflicting inter ests of his larger constituency. For instance the Missouri and Kansas l congressman who represent the zinc l belt have only to remember that one | Sunday last fall, there were prayers | by the pastors of all the churches. | that the rate on zinc might not be reduced but that the Almighty in his | wisdom would cause the barrier to | be raised a little. Those zinc belt !! representatives on both sides of the | state line have striven that those prayers Sildn ilOl SO ullsillShtlSu-
 It is so in hundreds of other con- gressional districts. The representa- tives for the most part are doing what they know their constituents want done Now and then one with a broader sense of his duty is doing what he thinks the country wants done, but these more noble minded patriots are comparatively few even among the 'progressivists."
 It may be that a few of the sub servient congressman may fail Their constituents having secured what they II want in the way of protection may not approve of the extensive log rolling methods of their constituents by which in the trade, protection was allowed to things which they did not want protected. Their disgust at the whole tariff law may outweigh their qualification at some particular schedule of it. Where there is such a sentiment there may be reaction