New Iberia enterprise and independent observer., 1910-09-03

, uments would AFFORD a very useful
source Of raw material
ls there remedy for such a state
of things? The answer is. yes. and
moreover. II is n remedy which con
gress can itself Immediately provide
There is no complete remedy, of
course. No scheme can be devised
which can prevent such a request az
that Of the constituent last named
who wished public documents tc 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, all
that can be done is to create a vigor-
ous public opinion-an opinion which
shall not only make It uncomfortable
for any man to 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-or such sub
tects as tariff legislation. river and
harbor legislation. and pension legis
latton. Congress has not exercised
this power; chiefly because of what
| am bound to regard as a very short,
sighted and unwise belief that II Is
beneath It's dignity to delegate any of
its functions. BY passing a rule which
would forbid the reception or passage
of any pension bill save the pension
legislation recommended by the Com.
missioner Of pensions (thls of course
to be rejected or amended as congress
saw Mt. 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 afford.
In the case Of the tariff and the
river and harbor legislation, what Is
needed In each case is ample provis.
ion for 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
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
a particular district every two years
for his continuance In public life.
Such q river and harbor commission
could report, and probably would re-
port. a great and comprehensive nat
lonal scheme for river and harbor I'm
At to be considered by
the people as a whole upon It's merits,
and not dependent for enactment into
law upon system of iog-rolling
designed to placate special interests
which are powerful In each OF many
score congressional districts. Such
/ tariff commission could get at the
'acts Of labor cost here and abroad
~ expert inquiry, and not by the ac-
,eptance Of Interested testimony: such
/ commission could consider dispas-
the probable effect upon the
,ntire social and economic body of
III changes In any given branch Of the
arlff, and its recommendation would
epresent the exercise OF careful
Judgment from \ dlsinterested stand.
'oint. Such a commission could work
n harmony with the commissioner Of
rs for whom the tariff IL passed get
abor, 80 as to insure that the labor.
he full benent Of IT. for the major
art Of the beneht Of protective
ariff should unQuestionably 90 to the
rage-workers.
Even under such conditions Of tariff {
1aking errors might be committed, I
ut they would be merely those errors :
I disinterested Judgment incidental
. every kind Of public or, for the mat
sr Of that. private effort. and the work
'ould not be hampered from the be-
inning BY the need Of gratifying pri-
ate selflshness.
II IL only In this way that tariff
.gislation, river ana harbor legisla-
on. and pension legislation can be
'eated from the standpoint OF prsn-
pie and not from the very low stand.
pint Of privilege and preference. The
,stacle hitherto to the adoption Of
lch a method Of treatment has come
ON the queer dislike felt BY so many
congressional leaders to a course Of
,tion which they (quite unjuetifiably)
el would In some way be limitation
their powers. I think this feeling
passing. II IL simply another In.
ance Of the kind Of feeling which
axes some executive suspicious
'out delegating their work to any
bordinate, and which makes many
'ters, who have not pondered tho
after deeply, desire to elect great
lmbers Of people on q ticket Of such
myth that It is out Of the ouest,cn
+ any except professional politicians
know much about them.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Il