The Springfield herald., 1910-09-09

uLHeHts "oulu a'iOTu very uSeful
source OF raw ',.s:erial.
Is there {. ''''''-,,y for such a state
of things? answer is, yes: and,
moreover. remedy which con
gress can f~elf Immediately provide
There ~ complete remedy, OF
course. No scheme can be devised
which can prevent such request as
that of the constituent last named
who wished public documents to use
In his private paper business, Re
quests like this merely mean that in
every district individuals will always
be found who will request improper
favors. AS regards these people. ali
that can be done is to create a vigor-
Gus public opinion-an opinion which
Shall not only make 1t uncomfortable
fof any man 10 demand such favors.
but which shall cordially support the
congressman In refusing them and
hold him accountable for granting
them.
Congress- has now, and has long
had, the power to rid its members Of
almost all the improper pressure
brought to bear upon the individual
by special interests-great and small.
local and metropolitan-on such sub
jects as tariff legislation. river and
harbor legislation. and pension legis-
lation. Congress has not exercised
this power: chiefly because of what
am bound to regard as a very short
sighted and unwise belief that It is
beneath Its dignity to delegate any OF
its functions. BY passing rule which
would forbid the reception or passage
of any pension bill save the pension
legislation recommended by the COM
missioner of pensions (this Of course
to be rejected or amended as congress
saw fit, but not so amended as to
include any special or private legis-
lation). congress would at once do
away with the possibility OF It's mem
bers being subject to local pressure
for improper private pension bills, and
at the same time guarantee proper
treatment for the veteran who really
does deserve to have everything done
for him that the country can atford.
In the case of the tariff and the
river and harbor legislation. what is
needed In e 1ch case is ample provi-
sion for a commission of the highest
possible grade, composed of men who
thoroughly know the subject, and. who
possess every attribute required for
the performance of the great and diff
ficult task of framing in outline the
legislation that the country. as dis.
tinguished from, special interests.
really needs. These men. from the
very nature of the case. will be wholly
free from the local pressure OF special
interests so keenly felt by every man
who is dependent upon the vote of
particular district every two years
for his continuance in public life.
Such a river and harbor commission
could report. and probably would re-
port, great and comprehensive ma
tional scheme for river and harbor I'M
proyements At to be considered by
the people as whole upon its merits.
and not dependent for enactment Into
law upon system of log-rolling
designed to placate special interests
which are powerful in each Of many
score congressional districts. Such
tariff commission could get at the
facts of labor cost here and abroad
by expert inquiry, and not by the ac-
centance of interested testimony; such
commission could consider dispas'
siopately the probable effect upon the
entire social and economic body OF
all changes in any given branch of the
tariff, and its recommendations wouid
renresent the exercise of care1ui
Judgment from dtsinterested stand:
no,nt Such commission could work
In harmony with the commissioner OF
labor so as to insure that the labor
arg for whom the tariff is passed get
tho full beneft of 1t; for the major
part of the benefit of "a protective
tariff should unquestionably go to the
wage-workers.
Even under such conditions of tariff
making errors might be, committed,
nut they would be merely those errors
of disinterested Judgment incidental
ia every kind of public or, for the mat
tor Of that, private effort. and the WORK
would not be hampered from the oe
,r,nnjnq by the need of gratifying pri'
yate SelHSlheSo' " ,es
If is only In this way that tarih
LEGISLATION. river and harbor legisia;
t,on and pension Legislation can DC
treated from the standpoint OF prin'
cinle and not from the very low stand
noipt of privilege and preference, lhe
obstacle hitherto to the adoption Oh
such method of treatment mas CONT
from the queer dislike felt by so many
congressional leaders to a, course ci
action which they. quite unjustihabiyl
feel would in some way be Limitation
of their powers. I think this fee''ns
is passing. It is simply .,anotheI m
stance of the kind of feeling whlch
makes some executives, suspicious
ohon. deiegating their work TO any
snbordinate, and which makes many
voters, who have not pondered ae .ne
matter. deeply, desire to eiec. sren, ah
numbers of people on n ticket OF suen ,
length that 1t Is out of the ques.lon
for any except professional politicians
to know much about them
~ THEODORE ROOSEVELT