The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1910-09-02

I~ekA Worlds Work contains an
Y article which rs 81 interest
y VIZ to ail who are concerned IN
- - The vital subject to which
We give the somewhat fox
~ title Of Political Reform" The
article for obvious reasons auony'
nous, IS written by a member Of
congress who. the editors uf the
Worlds Work say. has served for
more than ten years In the house OF
representatives. has acted on many i'm
purinnt committees and has been sue.
Ccssful IN getting things' for his
constituency. The article is described
M showing the reason why the pork
barrel. special iarin favurs, and pri.
yatc pension bills become law" the
reason being to quote the words uf
the author that the dictum Of the
constituency 60 the congressman Is
Get all you can for US There arc
no restrictions placed upon his meth.
cd Of getting a.
Until the American people themselves
become more national and less local,
until constituencies cease 10 regard
their congressman ~ solicitors at the
national treasury. congress will con.
tinuc to enact ubiquitous groups Of 10
cal fayors into national legislation"
This serious charge against the
American people-for which there Is
unQuestionably altogether too much
justincatlon-the author proceeds to
substantiatc by relating some ri his
own experiences with constituents
which. however surprising they may
socm to the general reader. will seem
almost commonplace TO all who know
/ how the average constituency does In
actual practice treat It's congressman.
The writer sets forth the fact that.
In tho first place, ninety per cent. of
the letters which congressman re-.
colycs are requests for special favors
I 10 he obtained IN some way or other,
| directly or indirectly from the United
States treasury For instance, while
| tho Pnyne.Aldrich tariff law was un
der discussion. this particular con
gresham received In May. 1909. the
following letter from the secretary OF
a 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 IL In,
closed. was unanimously adopted. urg
INK our representatives In congress IA
use every endcavor TO have the pros
ont tarif In mentioning three OF the
products Of the Industries referred to)
increased one cent per pound and tho
present tariff on mentioning the 9th
or two productsl increased half a cent
| per pound. ! wish 10 further advise
you that We have heard from Senator
--- and de informs us that he
will take care Of this matter In tho
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 az
the most iniquitous measure ever en-
acted by congress" and requesting
him TO explain by letter why he hat
voted with the Reactionaries" 10 past
the bill When II was pointed out Il
the association that II had urged IN,
congressman TO obtain an increase o
duty ON the products In which II wal
interested. II dropped It's demand fol
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-
featured articles In which the district
was interested and year later n,
same newspaper In the same cditoria
column denounced him az one Of "th,
legislative bandltti responsible for IN,
Payne-Aldrich measure"
River and harbor legislation IL an
other field In which local selfishnesi
busies itself. 10 the exclusion of ma
tlonal needs. In this case requests
are not made by letter but by delega
lions which come TO Washington he
sieging their senators and representa-
tives There H." says the franl
writer Of this article, 'hguratiyell
speaking, between $4,000. 600 and 500,
900, 900 on the table TO be divided, Tn,
committee divides II 20 that every on,
Ia satisfied. at least 10 q reasonabl,
extent" Every one, that Is. but IN,
people at large. the people who hay,
no special interest To serve, and VIII,
feel keenly indignant that the river
and harbors Of the United States ar,
developed IN a fashion 10 inferior I,
that Of Europe
Nor are all the requests for legls
lation merely, one constituent de
sired to have this particular congress
man put his name on the free mailing
list for all public documents Tha
this would be impossible, because Il
would mean delivering 10 the appli
cant several tons Of documents ever
month, does not In the slightest detraci
from the interest Of the fact ELECTED by
an investigation that the applicant wal
the manufacturer Of an article made