Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-09
What is a
Congressman
ny Frederic !. Haskin


Washington Sept s,---Ts a Congress
man a legislator, or Ii he an errand
boy. political agent, Sightseeing guide,
employment bureau, and general nd
vIser Of the poor and neetyy
If II be conceded that he u In part
a maker Of laws. then how many laws
ut one time is he supposed 10 be able
To- consider and understand, and from
how many different points Of view IL
he supposed to be able 70 consider
and understand them2
These are questions that a good
many congresamcn are asking them
s.lven The number Of things that a
C'ongressnian is nowadays called upon
to do. besides attending 70 legislation.
Is enough to appal any strong nnn
BESIDES that, consider the number of
laws TO Ehich he IL expected 10 de-
vote his attention. The popular theory
Of government in this country is that
II there is anything the matter with
anything or anybody. the remedy Is
10 pass > law about II, We have piled
an a mountain Of laws. and each year
the mountain grows more than II grew
the year before. Tho faster u grows
the legs consideration does each of the
laws get. The legislators who are
supposed to be carefully considering
these laws never heard ~ most Of
them.
whittier Does This Process Leadf
In devising the American govern
ment. II is highly probable that the
fathers of the country had no idea of
the way in which the functions Of
some Of the officers Of the government
would be expanded and degraded.
They had the idea in their innocent be-
wigged heads that Congress would
meet once every year, each second ses-
sion being a short one, and that each
Congressman and Senator would de-
vote himself 70 making laws some
cynical present-day members Of Con-
eress suggest that these wise old
statesmen intended that Congress
should meet to prevent laws from
being enncted--8t least too many Of
them. II this was their purpose. their
Successors in the halls of the national
legislature have failed miserabIy.
As Once II Was.
Senator or a Representative was
intended in the original plan TO be j
Agniffed gentleman who would come
to washington to deliberate over the
state or the Union, and after
sage consultation with his colleagues
enact q few mastery statutes which
would lay the foundation for continu-
ing the peace. progress and prosperity
of the nation Naturally, the Halls n
Congress- would be the outlet for more
or less oratory BY gentlemen who felt
an irrepressfble urge in this direction
This was expected. tolerated. and. II
il was really good. appiauded and
widely quoted throughout the then
narrow confines Of the new nation
From the very beginning the scope
Of the duties falling upon the shoul-
ders Of those making Up the Americar
Congress, particularly the lower
i,ranch. has increased steadily. The
constituents making ap many districts
have fallen into the habit OF using
their Representatives in Washington
for every errand and favor they can
think up to ask him. The volume Of
law enactment takes so much time and
has grown to such proportions too.
that rarely indeed can member find
lime to devote to any private business
or enterprise. The long adjournment
OF Congress from March 4 until the
FIRST Monday in December is an almost
forgotten thing. In the rush OF pres
eut day affairs and for many years
past it has almost always been neces-
sary for the President to assemble the
Congress in extraordinary session to
take up urgent matters which would
not wait. In the midst Of this rush,
the Members Of the House have TO
keep IN touch with affairs in their
home districts in order that they may
keep their jobs. as election day for
them comes every two years.
Particularly at this time. with the
Inauguration Of a Republican regime
after eight years Of Democratic adj
rninistration. there is terrific amount
OF additional pressure on every men,
Der of Congress. Constituents, usually
always lifelong Republicans" are
seeking to- dislodge the Democrats
holding governmental Offices and take
the position themselves. The jobs for
the most part are in the hands OF the
executive departments, there are usu