Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-01-26

C j. HaSkln
Jones to build a bridge across Fog
creek in Summersquash county, Mo. !;
or apprOpriating a hundred and fifty
thousand dollars to erect a postOffice
at Watertank, Nevada.
The congressman have to do these
things in order to hold their jobs. The
great majority of them spend the
great majority Of their time doing
little things for individuals and coun-
ties and towns. They give a small
fraction of their time to national af-
fairs. The leaders who really give
most Of their time to national legisla-
ton spend great deal more than the
government allows them for clerk hire,
end they are veterans of many ses-
sions' experience, whose seats are
very secure.
There is one young congressman
who says that he never misses SEES
sion of the house. He explains that
he dictates all of his letters at home
every night. All morning he spends
in the departments prosecuting the
numerous claims for which every con-
gresham Is the unwilling advocate.
This leaves him from noon. when the
house convenes, until evening for at
tendance to the business of the ma
ton. He works about sixteen hours
day. There are few others who can
do It and still fewer who will. So con-
gress is literally becoming gathering
of preoccupfed agents, who line up
well enough on party votes, but by
force Of circumstance give the country
less and less of the Independent
thought upon national questions which
is the life Of legislation.
The Broboff electrical voting ma.
chine may work considerable modi-
flcation of this tendency by compelling
the congressman to be close at hand
If he Is going to vote at all, and by
saving month or so Of time for him
out Of every session.
Two other changes have been sug-
gested as Accomplishments Of the cleo
trica1 device. One is the adjustment
of the electrical bells which now an
nounce every note. and disturb every
body on Capitol hill. The other Is the
restoration of the desks which we're
replaced not long ago by long benches
much like those in railway waiting
room. It is argued that If the con-
Rressman has place in the legisla-
tive hall where he can work. he is
more apt to remain there.
It is certainly true that the benches
now in use offer the congressman
little in the way Of either comfort or
,rr"l u,,;y for wo.S
One somewhat revolutionary effect
of the electrical voter will be the abol-
ition OF the revered filibuster. This
consists in delaying business by re-
peatedly making the point If no quor-
UNI, necessitating the calling OF the
roll. and delaying the business of the
house forty minutes. Then, before
much progress is made, the point is
repeated. In this way, one member
can interfere with the work Of the
house, while minority may even
force compromise from the major
ity. a
Notwithstanding that the f1libuster
is a terrible waste of time, 1t has gem
orally been regarded as one OF the
rights OF the minority. The hearing
on the Howard bill brought out some
interesting side1ights on the subject.
The chairman Of the committee re-
marked that "a man who makes
point Of order does 1t out Of some
pique."
"A man who wants to speak is not
allowed to speak and then he makes
the house pay for it, and he can do 1t
very readily" he explained. That Is
generally the gfst Of a filibuster in the
M. &c
bow at the back lot baseball game who
wants to pitch and isn't allowed to.
SO he runs of with the catcher's mitt.
The Broboff device. il Installed,
would consist simply of big board, or
perhaps two Of them, much like an
electrical score board, where each con-
rressman's name would appear, with
a red bulb and white one after it.
At each congressman's elbow would
be couple of buttons, which could be
pressed only with the aid of key in
his possession When the vote had
heen announced, he would press his
yea or nay button at any time within
the specified period. He could also
change his vote any time within that
period The machine would then auto
matically add the vote and show the
result.
There would be about seventy miles
of copper wire in the machine and cop
per is at present selling at very high
price because of the war. This fact.
operating in conjunction with the leg
islative desire to appear economical,
may postpone the installation; but
electrical voting is almost sure to be-
come the accepted method Of legisla-
tive bodies.