The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-01-08
AND MAN.

Theoretically the public is the mas
ter and the office holder is the man,
the servant of the people. He is
placed in office for the express pur-
pose of enacting such laws as the
people as a whole may deem wise and
Just and to administer the public's af-
fairs in identically the same manner
that a clerk would obey the man
dates of the head of commercial es-
Enlistment.
Such is the theory of public office,
but in its practical workings it is just
the reverse. The official becomes the
master and usually pays but scant
heed to the wishes of the people until
the rumblings warn him that it is
time to hedge before the breaking of
the storm.
With congress in session we will
have many real masters making laws
for their ostensible masters to obey.
Some of these laws will be good, 9th
ers will be of doubtful value, while
4 few may be even obnoxious or vi
cious from our point of view.
The wishes and desires of the peo-
pie will be of little avail with these
masters" for the reason that it is
difficult to induce the people to as
sert themselves on any given subject
or proposed measure.
But how different it might be if
the people would only display a little
more initiative and make their wishes
and demands known to congressman
and senators before the latter cast
their votes.
We all know how it should work,
but here is the way it does work to-
day.
A new bill is introduced in con-
gress, but it does not meet with the
approval of the people of our partic-
ular district. In fact, we may con-
slider that it is directly against our
own interests.
A few of u more aggressive peo-
pie write a mild and guarded protest
to Senator or Congressman Blank, but
they are so few as to be without
weight or effect. The senator or con-
gresham hears of no widespread OPP
position in his district and yields to
the powerful pressure from other
sources in behalf of the bill. He votes
for it. Other congressman and sena-
tors do the same, and the bill becomes
a law, and we pay the penalty of our
Indifference.
On the other hand, suppose the peo-
pie of the district took the bit between
their teeth, wrote in large numbers
to the senators and congressman and
gave them plainly to understand that
their constituents were opposed to
such a bill, and that they were expect
ed to cast their votes in the interest
of the people who placed them in Of
fee, irrespective of all pressure from
other sources. Would they, under
such conditions, support an obnoxious
measure? Not in a thousand years
for they would know that such action
would mean their prompt political
death.
When the people do become aroused
and speak in decided terms every SEN
ator and congressman CLUES both ears
to the ground and holds them there
with bated breath.
Now, isn't 1916 a good year in
which to change the old order of pro
cedure? Isn't the time opportune fo1
the people to assert their rights and
p~rerogatives; become masters, and in
sist upon a strict compliance with
their will? Isn't it about time tc
give senators and congressman of ev-
cry degree to understand that they
are servants and not gods?
Isn't it time for the people of this
district to tell our representatives in
congress just what we of the district
want, and that it is up to them to
oet it? In any event, isn't it about
time for US to insist that they vote