The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1909-04-28
POTENT FACTORS
IN LAW MAKING
As Demonstrated During Tariff
Framing Period the People
Have an Important Part
CONGRESSMAN WORK HARD

servants tno country Hds AZ Vsef
lnaton - Senator P%enrose's Daily
Grind Requires Training Of an Ath-
lete to Stand the Pace.
Senators from the middle west seem
disposed to interfere somewhat with
the work Of framing a tariff bill In
tht United States Senate. Senator
Nelson Of Minnesota and Senator Dol
liver of Iowa have joined in a battle
for a reduction in the duties on earth
enware, glass, cotton and wool. II Is
hardly probable, however, that the 30
called insurgents with whom some Of
the western senators have allied them
selves will prevail in the construction
of the contemplated tari1 legislation
now being framed in the Senate. The
senators classed as safe and sane seem
to be sufficiently strong to enact leg
i~slation which will be satisfactory to
the entire country and which will not
favor special interests whether they
be in the east or the west, the north
or the south
The enacting OF a tariff bill salts
factory to all the people in a country
as great as is the United States is a
most %perplexing problem and calls
forth the very best efforts OF the best
men in the nation. The making of the
proposed new law is described in an
entertaining way by a special Wash
ington correspondent in a late issue of
the Philadelphia Ledger, who Incl
dentally pays a generous tribute to
Senator Boies Penrose. The CORE
spondent writes in part ms follows:
I'm a country Of great wealth and
high civilization. governed under par
liamentary institutions, two houses,
each OF so many members, do not
constitute the whole OF the lawmaking
body. Add a president or a king, with
a swarm of administration bureaus,
and still you are far short Of the
reality.
"In the United States the most po-
tent OF lawmaking influences, leaving
out the elections which provide the
machinery and direct a few policies,
is the cooperation of persons who are
employed or interested and that
means almost the whole body Of intel
ligence in the country. An ignorant
man might Judge the quality of legis-
lation by his estimate of the limita-
lions of the individuals who sit in
the senate and house. Even so. he
would underestimate the capabilities
of the legislative institution. He might
see, If he would look, that the men,
bers who have a voice in legislation
are far above the average Of their
communities, picked men, who may
have shortcomings as compared with
the ideals set forth in rhetorical eulo-
gies of past and present, but, rated
by the practical standards Of life, pos
sess exceptional ability and alert In
dustry. For their guidance and as
sistance, at their call and generally
without being called. are lawyers OF
specialized training. experts supplied
with facts, executive business men ac-
| customed to the problems Of the sub
ject, college professors acquainted
with its literature; in addition are
government bureaus supplied with rec
ords and statistics and skilled en-
ployes to produce them at once when
required.
During a tariff session at Washing
ton this actual cooperation of the en-
tire intelligence of the country is the
really conspicuous feature Of the law
making process. The controlling direc-
ton OF legislation may be right or
wrong, wise for the nation or unwise.
At least the mind of the nation Is
Zealously at work.
"In one day a legislator may confer
with a distinguished lawyer, a college
investigator, a foreman Of a mill, a
committeeman from some great asso'
citation of business men and a process
sion of persons who know little OF the
subject, but have views to express
The next day brings the same expert
ence. If the conclusion of the legisla
tors vote shows no more than the bias
with which he left home, at least he
does not act in ignorance. He Is 9
partner with the best capacity of his
fellow-Americans.
"He is certainly not permitted t
remain in ignorance of the wishes o.
his district. What personal visits leave
%unsupplied the mails deliver to him
Not only wishes, but masses of fact!
are laid before him. Even an indolen
man must do a great deal of hart
work If his district is concerned abou
a tariff schedule, as nearly every dis
trict in the United States Is concerned
for a higher or a lower rate.
with all the efforts of varied an
u combined intelligence to aid congress
. with the highest expert judgment an,
information, the sovereign people d,
not know how well-at least, hoy
iaithfully-they are served. On on
side Congressman Payne gave tel
high.strung attention. On the othe'
Champ Clark, the Democratic leader,
sick man, was at his post; and eac
was busy for hours when the hous
: was not in session; consulting, col
} ferring and listening to the couns'
\ of his allies. And this after a mont
of weary days and nights Of labor G
the tariff bill. These long days wei
conscientiously devoted to the serviC
of the co"utry-or of party, which
an America means the same thing.
"Pennsyl, anians have been told tn;
Doies Penrose is "a politician. Gran