Pueblo chieftain., 1921-09-08
Rv Erederic j. Haskin.

Washington. n. c, sept. lis
congre5sman a legislator. or is he an
orrand hoy. political agent. sight
seeing guide, employment bureau. and
general adviser of the poor and
needys
II it be conceded that he is in part
maker Of laws. then how many laws
at one time is he supposed TO he ahle
to consider and understand. and from
how many different points Of Wow is
he supposed to bo able to consider and
understand them7
These ,ro questions that Eood
many congressman are asking thern-
selves. Tho number Of thinSs that
congressman rs nowadays called upon
10 do. besides attending to legislation.
IS enough to appall any strong man;
Besides that. consider the number oi
laws 10 which he Is expected TO devote
his attention. Tho popular theory
of government in THIS country Is that
II there ls any thing tho matter with
anything or anybody. the remedy IS to
a mountain Of lave. and each year tho
mountain grows more than II grew the
wear before The faster n grows tho
less consideration does each OF the
laws get The legislators who are sup
posed to be carefully considering these
laws ncvsr heard of most Of them.
whittier does this process lcad'
In devising the American govern
ment Il iE highly probable that tho
fathers Of the country had no idea of
tho way in which the functions Of
Eono of tho officers Of tho govern
nicnt would he expanded and degraded.
They had the Idea In their innocent
bowiEEed heads that conErcEs would
meet ono" every year. each second
Ircssiou being short ono, and that
leach congressman and senator would
devote himself 10 making laws. some
q a. anHrr ~ ~
EreEs CuEsest that these wise old
.atatcsmon intended that congress
lthnuid meet to prevent laws from he
ling cnhctcd-at least too many ~
them n this was their purpose, their
] |sIccesEors In tho halls ~ tho national
Ilcgislaturs have failed misorably. g
] \ senator or a representative was in
tended In tho original plan 10 De a
|diEuifCd gentleman who would como
Ito Washington 20 deliberate over tho
state of the Union. and after EaEc con
sultation with his colleagues. enact y
fow mastery statutes which would leN
the foundation for continuing tho
peace, proEroEH and proEpcrity Of tne
l nation Naturally. tho halls of CON
grcaa would be the outlet for more OF
less orutory hy gentlemen who folt an
7 lrreprcssihlo urge In this direction
This vps ,Np.,fsi. tolerated. and. N n
Wa really sood, applauded and widcl'
quoted thruout the then narrow con-
nuCg Of the now nation.
From tho very beginning the scope
OF tho duties falling upon the anould'
icra of those making NJ the American
|onnEross. particularly the lower
IhranCh. has Increased steadily. Thf
lconstituents making ur many districts
have fallen into tho habit ~ usinE
their rpcrcscntntlvcr In Washington
for every GRAND and favor they car
think M to ask him. The volume Of
Ia d
has grown 20 such proportions. too
THAT rarely indeed can a member find
ltimc 10 devote to any private hu1irr7a
lor enterprise Tho long adjournment
Of congress from March until tho
first Monday in December Is an al
most forgotten thinE. In tho rush oi
present day affairs and for many years
| past n has almost been necessary fnr
tho President to assemble conErcsH m
I extraordinary session IN take M urE-
.ent matters which would not wait
In the midat Of this rush. tho mcruhors
Of tho house have TO keep In touch
with affairs In their home dioirict5 IN
order that they may keen their iohr. NJ
election day for them comes every tive
years.
Particularly AZ this time. with th'
iinauEura ton of a Republican roEim'
after eight years Of pomocraue ad.
imiuistration there m terrific amount
nf additional prcfsure on every mem
her Of congress Constituents, uEually
always lifelong Republican, are
IeeekinE to dislodEe IN. Democrat
holding governmental offices and tats
tho position themselves. Tho jobs fni
the tnoet part arc In tho hands or tho
executive Department.. there arc usual.
'ly many applicants for each one. and
/. thus the congressman is caught In ths
I tam between Tho job and tho applicant
! with little patience exhibited. by the
earne1t seeker for a place on tho Fed
erai payroll II there is any delay or
| failure on the part OF his congress man
/ In landing him there.
| Tho country conErcRFman usually has
q harder time than tho man represent
ling city district. In many instance-
Itt is safe to cay that very many city
voters have no remote idea OF th'
| Iu1me Of the man they Tru' IN Wash
IinFton to represent their district In
CnnErese A great many do not even
know the district in which they live.
4 man gets a package NJ garden seeds
/ sent 70 him from Washington and IN
rare cases may note the name of the
lconEre-smsn up In the corner of tho
envelope which serves in lou rf 2
| stamp This man often iz loud in Do
nouucinr congress for wasting time
and money and charging 1t with In