The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-09-01

s-zgsyusH HE August number OF the
>1E> Worlds Work contains an
EHN article which is of interest
NWBlV to all who are concerned In
M the vital subject to which
& we give the somewhat fog
KY title of political Reform the
article, for obvious reasons anony-
nous, is written by a member Oh
congress 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
portant committees, and has been sue
cessfui In ngetting things" for his
constituency. The article is described
as Showing the reason why the pork
barrel, special tariff favors, and pri-
vate pension bills become law" the
reason being, to quote the words or
the author, that 1.-THE dictum OF the
constituency to the congressman Is
Get all you can for U.s. There are
no restrictions placed upon his meth
cd of getting It.
Until the American people themselves
become more national and less local,
until constituencies cease to regard
their congressman as solicitors at the
national treasury. congress will con-
tinue to enact Ubiquitous groups of To-
cal favors into national legislation"
This serious charge against the
American people-for which there is
unquestionably altogether too much
justifcation-the author proceeds to
eubstantiate by relating some Of his
own experiences with constituents
which, however surprising they may
seem to the general reader, will seem
almost 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 I'M
der discussion, this particular con-
gresham received in May, 1909 the
| following letter from the secretary of
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 a cent
per pound. wish to further advise
you that we have heard from Senator
-- and he informs us that he
VIII take care Of this matter In the
senate"
When the bill was finally passed,
the congressman succeeded in adding
half cent a 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 Ubiquitous measure ever en-.
acted by congress" and requesting
him to explain by letter why he had
voted with the Reactionaries" tn nass
me Dill. When 1t was pointed out ia
the association that it had urged the
congressman to obtain an increase Of
duty on the products in which II was
interested, 1t dropped its demand for
an explanation. An influential news.
paper published in his district edi.
torlally commended him while the biI,
was under debate for his Intelligent
EFFORTS to increase the duty on mann.
factured articles in which the district
was interested, and year later the
same newspaper in the same elitnria,
column denounced him as one of "the
legislative oanditti responsible for the
Payne-Aldrich measure"
RIVER and harbor legislation Ia an.
"'ner Held IN which local selfishness
} -busies itself, to the exclusion of no.
tonal needs, In this case rereets
are not made by letter but by delepo.
tons which come to Washington no.
sicgng their senators and represerto
uyes. There u.s." says the frant,
writer OF this article, "fgurativelv
speaking. between $4,000, 900 and seo .
oVo'oOO on the table to be divided Tho
committee divides 1t so that every ono
Is satisfied at least to a reasorohi o
extent" Every one, that is but tho
people at large, the people who have
no special interest to serve. ana who
leel keenly Indignant that the rivers
ana harbors Of the United states oro
developed in fashion so jnferior 80 70
that Of Europe. ~
Nor are all the requests for lor,s
iation merely. One constituent D."
sired to have this particular congraae
man put his name on the free m t,i Ho1
mst Tor all public documents That
mis- would be impossible. becorao "I =.
would mean delivering to the onu,'
cant several tons of documents eyarr