Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-05
CONGREsSMEN's RECORDS
TO Be GIVEN TO VOTERS
League viii Throw Search
light on Those Standing
for Reelection
by gibson GARDNER.

WASHINGTON. September 2.-Is
your congressman "NIawsh?" That will
be the popular question on the lips of
tional Voters league, with headquarters
in Washington. materialize. Secretary
Lynn Haines. of the league, is planning
TO issue two special editions of his
"Searchlight on Congress" to contain
the records of senators and congressman
seeking reelection. In both editions
the aspiring statesmen will be charac-
terized as fit for reelection or not, ac-
cording as their records on important
rollcalls and other activities in the leg
islative chambers indicate their value
to the voters. One means of character
iZation is to be the word ''mawsh." This
word was suggested by Richard S.
Childs, father of the short ballot idea
and one of the executive committee of
the National Voters league. The phrase
Is taken from the initials of the words,
might as well stay home" Where a
congressman's record indicates that his
public service would have been as well
performed If he had never come to con-
gress, this word will be used by the
league.
I'VE shall employ that characterize
ton only in cases where the records
unQuestionably justify it's use,"
says Secretary Haines in a recent bull
letin.
II every one of the upward of TWEEN
ty million voters who will this fall cast
their ballots for senators and congress-
men would take pains to ascertain from
the voters league or some other reliable
source the actual record of their sena-
snru nd a n
next house and senate might have quite
a few new faces and might conceiv-
ably be a much better Legislative body.
The acting secretary of labor. John
c. DeAsmore. has released George An
dreytchine, the steel corporation en-
ploye who formerly worked in their
offices on the Messaba iron range in
Minnesota and who was arrested and
prosecuted at the instance of the steel
trust because he encouraged the strik-
ing iron miners. The steel trust tried
to have Andreytchine deported to Bull
garia, as an undesirable alien, although
he had for two years been their office
employe. He was charged with being
an anarchist" but his real offense was
in siding with the strikers.
Under this administration, the depart
ment Of labor is demonstrating that 1t
really has the interests of labor at
heart.
These are the days when the Congress
sional Record is being filled up with
speeches for political consumption.
Most of these speeches are not deliver
ed. In the bound and permanent vol
ume of the Record, however, they APP
pear as If really delivered. and of
course. IL is made to appear as If the
from
the floor of the house Of representatives.
Sometimes a realistic touch like ZAP
plause"' is added for this purpose. 1t
Is unusual, however, for a man who is
not in Washington to get his speech
printed as If talking on the floor. Mr..
Barnhart- Of Indiana, has achieved this
result Mr.. Dixon arose the other day
and said: MY colleague. Mr.. Barn
mart, is detained at home on account
Of the illness of his wife. 1 ask unan-
lmous consent to extend his remarks in
the Record on the subject of tariff
commission" This was going too
stronw even for hardened members Of
the house and Stafford, OF wisconsin,
objected As these speeches" can only
appear by unanimous consent, this
should have prevented publication of
these long-distance remarks of Barn
harris To the surprise of readers OF
the Record. however. the speech may
be found in the same edition which
printed the objection to its appearance!
This incident recalls the fact that
twenty speeches" on the subject of the
Ashbrook widows pension bill were in
serted in the Record after the bill had
PASSED. This farce of debating" meas
ures in undelivered speeches after the
measure passes is a regular practice
of the house. 1t is one of the frauds
which congressman practice on their
constituents Such speeches" of course,
are for campaign consumption only.