The Washington herald., 1911-01-22
By JAMES b. MORROW.

1t is the belief Of Joseph w. Bailey
that the people in their government suffer
more from towards than from crooks
II have been in Congress for almost
twenty years." he said to me. We were
sitting at the big brown table in his
Office. The letters of the morning were
in methodical pile upon his desk. The
room was as orderly and precise as its
master Nothing had been flung down
and left. The chaos and slovenliness
OF Incidence or genius we're not present.
For the first time in his life Senator
Bailey had been talking OF himself.
Il have seen 1000 legislators come and
co. he went on to say. His tones were
heavy. but their cadence was soft, slow,
and rhythmic. .'Only a very few Of
them were aught but honest men. Most
of them. however, We're afraid to let
their conscience or their judgment govern
their votes.
THE people seem to fear venality in
public Office. They have more cause to
be afraid of cowardice. Bribery and
other coarse forms of dishonesty have
small part. or no part at all. in our
national government. Terror Of the
electorate. or of classes in the electorate,
on the other hand. il common and
Il practice law when Congress is not
in session. and have been censured on
that account. Nevertheless. I shall keep
on practicing. Were l to give all of my
time to the work, l might earn $4,000
year. AS it is, my salary Is just one
tenth of that amount. 1 think, there
fore, that am giving the country some
thing out of my own pocket. 1t would
he we'll if all Senators and Representa-
tives could have the feeling of personal
independence
After ten or twenty years in Con-
greSs, 4 professional man or a business
man understands that his clients or Gus
toners have permanently vanished. Any
one can realize the menace of his situa-
ton. Perhaps he Is too old to make
another start or to do something else.
Holding office has become his livelihood.
Freedom of action, he imagines. will en-
danger the bread and butter of his family
and himself He ceases to be competent,
as I believe. to give the people disin-
terested and courageous service.
Will Do Him No Harm.
The confession will do him no harm in
Texas. but not a member Of the Senate
except Bailey would have been SO plain.
BY the canons of politics. he often i'm
perils his standing and repute as party
1885, and said SO on the stump. IF he
is a Democrat. l am not" he proclaimed.
He tested Texas. then silver mad, to the
point of breaking. doing il bravely. and
coming through all right A umid man, |
or one who was selfish, would have !,
masked his disgust behind a complaisant
face and a flow Of deceiful words I
asked him when he began his activities |
in politics. The facts in his answer re-
veal his character somewhat.
Back in Mississippi. wi en- I was sew
enteen years Old he sad. THE old
men had been running .he party for
years 1 was at home fr1m college on
a vacation. There was sGne discussion
about a State railway commission. My
father opposed the innovathn. He said
that a railroad could make prices for
carrying freight, exactly as merchant
could make prices for his calico or shoes.
Il didn't know anything about law just
then, but 1 replied that railways had
certain rights denied to other kinds of
business They can take our hone I
told my father. for station. though
we may want to keep it and live in 1t
ourselves Nor can We fix the Price:
three appraisers will do that for us. and
We must accept their valuation |
IF a railroad 1 said, can condemn /
private property and have its value es-
tablished by a commission Of appraisers. |
tho State can create a commission to
regulate the price of hauling freight
While only a boy. 1 got pretty close to
the logic of the situation. The doctrine,
crudely stated to my father. is old now,
but it was new then.
Safd 1t Was of No Use.
while We were arguing the case,
sometimes in the morning and some
times in the evening, the Democrats OF
Hazlehurst. where we lived. were pre-
caring to choose delegates to the county
convention. 1 concluded to attend their
meeting when It occurred. On my way,
met a young man and told him where
was going.