The Springfield herald., 1910-09-09

AA Worlds Work contains an
Y I'M y article which is of interest
NNAK to all who are concerned in
esEe the vital subject to which
we give the somewhat fog
lsy title of political Reform" The
article, for obvious reasons anony-
nous, is written by member of
tongress who. the editors of the
Worlds Work say has served for
more than ten years in the house of
representatives. has acted on many i'm
nortant committees. and has been sue
cessful in getting things" for his
constituency. The article is described
hs showing the reason why the pork
barrel. special tariff favors. and prl-
yate pension bills become law" the
reason being. to quote the words of
the author. that the dictum of the
constituency to the congressman is
Get all you caf for U.s. There are
no restrictions placed upon his meth
I'D of getting II.
Until the American people themselves
become more national and less local,
until constituencies cease to regard
their congressmef1 as solicitors at the
national treasury. congress- will con-
tnue to enact iniquitous groups of To-
tal favors into national legislation"
This serious charge against the
American people-for which there Is
inquestionably altogether too much
iustification-the author proceeds to
substantiate by relating some Of his
bwn experiences with constituents
which, however surprising they may
seem to the general reader, will seem
Utmost commonplace to all who know
how the average constituency does in
actual practice treat its congressman.
The writer sets forth the fact that,
In the first place, ninety per cent. OF
The letters which a congressman re-
ceives are requests for special favors
to be obtained In some way or other.
directly or Indirectly, from the United
States treasury. For instance, while
the Payne-Aldrich tariff law was un-
der discussion, this particular con-
sressman received IN May. 1909 the
n powerful commercial association In
his district:
Il have been instructed by the board
of directors of this association to ad
wise you that at special meeting May
20, resolution, copy of which is In
closed, was unanimously adopted, urg
Ing our representatives in congress to
use every endeavor to have the pres
ent tariff in mentioning three of the
products of the industries referred toy
increased one cent per pound and the
present tariff on (mentioning the 9th.
er two products) increased half cent
per pound. 1 wish to further advise
you that we have heard from Senator
- and he informs us that he
will take care of this matter in the
senate"
When the bill was finally passed.
the congressman succeeded In adding
half a cent pound to the duty on
two of these products and in prevent
ing any reduction on the others. A
year later, when the popular clamor
against the bill had become acute,
the same association that had asked
him to vote for increases wrote to the
congressman denouncing the bill as
the most iniquitous measure ever en-
acted by congress" and requesting
him to explain by letter why he had
voted with "the Reactionaries" to pass
the bill. When 1t was pointed out to
the association that 1t had urged the
congressman to obtain an increase Of
duty on the products in which 1t was
interested. 1t dropped Its demand for
an explanation, An influential news
paper published In his district edi-
torially commended him while the bill
was under debate for his Intelligent
efforts" to increase the duty on manu-
factured articles in which the district
was interested, and year later the
same newspaper in the same editorial
column denounced him as one of "the
legislative banditti responsible for the
Payne-Aldrich measure"
River and harbor Legislation is an
other field In which local selfshness
Jbusies itself. to the exclusion of ma
,tional needs. In this case requests
are not made by letter but by delega-
Mons which come to Washington be-
sieging their senators and representa-
lives There is says the frank
writer of this article, "fguratively
speaking. between $6OO00,OOo and $780,
100000 on the table to be divided. The
committee divides it so that every one
is satisfied, at East to reasonable
extent" Every one, that is, but the
people at large, Tie people who have
no special interest to serve, and who
feel keenly indignant that the rivers
and harbors of the United States are
developed in fashion so inferior to
that of Europe. -.s.
Nor are all the requests for legis-
lation merely. One constituent de-
sired to have this particular congress
man put his name on the free mailing
list for all public documents That
this would be impossible. because II
,Y9uld mean delivering to the appll-
rant several tons of documents every
month. does not In the slightest detract
rom the interest Of the fact elected py
IN investigation that the applicant was
The manufacturer of an article made
sfom waste paper. and the public doc