Evening star., 1912-09-15
Continued bon; page 4

whether your conscience and methods of
thought will allow you to embrace the new
dispenSation, it matters not whether this
new order affects a local issue or a public
question. And, if you cannot embrace the
new with all your heart and all your mind,
the best thing to do is to write your resigna
ton from Congress and from politics. Ii
you don't, your constituents, developing an
unsuspected streak of obliglng spirit, will dc
IT for you. There is no place IN American
politics for half hearted man
When | say that political success depends
on letting matters drift for awhile. do not
wish to be understood to advocate weakness
or to encourage shallowness on the part OF
the public man. The real work of a Con
gresham is to represent his people. and he
is good Congressman just SC long as he Is
militant exponent and champion of those
things in which his people believe and for
which they stand 1t has been demonstrated
over and over again with striking emphasis
that you cannot successfully force an issue
against the wishes of your people.
THERE is another thing to be said in this
! connection You probably have often
heard that corrupt politician represented
some district. There are isolated examples,
perhaps, of such state of affairs There used
to be more. Whenever it occurs. no more
blame is to be attached to the man than to
the voters. One of the astounding things II
the history of American politics Is the length
of time it took for the public to realize that
it could stamp out corruption at once II /.
chose. If a man prefers to have himsel
financed and his seat bought by corruptins
money, and is willing to vote tor that cor
rupting influence as fair exchange for the
r,oopax- hot b,S 10oko,1t RI1t IF the
voters know that he is corrupt and continue
to stand for him, that is their lookout.
In reality the charge of dishonesty in
American politics is made too frequently
With the evolution of political methods,
with the introduction of the direct primary,
and with the spread of publicity regarding
all things in politics, the public has begun to
realize that politicians are generally honest,
both because the usual tendency of human
nature is toward honesty, and because hon
esty is the best policy in politics more than
in any other branch of human endeavor. The
artist may be able to put over an insincere
painting, and the author may get away with
plagiarisms; but the politician, the man who
shakes hands with the voters and meets them
face to face, must have ideas of his own and
must mean what he says, or he will neces-
sarily be ruined.
Aside from the importance OF keeping in
touch with his constituents, the member of
Congress preserves his political life only by
incessant service. 1t is no joke to say that
a Representative is messenger boy for
every man, woman, and child in his district
Whether the folks at home want Govern
ment job or package of garden seed or a
rare book or some item of special informa-
ton, or whether they want a bridge built
across stream or public building erected
in certain town, he must jump to the front
when the bell rings, and he must be on the
job with hard work until he has delivered
the goods. or has made it apparent that it
is impossible for him to do So
Much of his time is given up to seeing
people who come to Washington from the
home district, and he must devote even more
of the time to circulating among his counties
during campaign and at other times. The
most effective campaign possible is that
which lasts three hundred and sixty-ive
days out of the year. My acquaintance IN
the House has convinced me that the men
who have the strongest holds on their dis
tricts are those who answer their mail every
day, are willing to do everything possible
for their people, and execute every commits
sion given to them by their constituents.
During this campaign many men are fight
ing for places in Congress or battling to re
tain the seats they have won. The new
cor11erS in the field will learn what 7 have SET