South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-04-28
BY LAWRENCE MARTIN
United Press stan Correspondent)
Copyright. 1922. by United PressJ
CHAPTER IT..


WASHINGTON. April q. - so
this IS the senate"
That. the senator who IS giving me
his actual impression Of the senate
said. was almost his first word on
the DAY he became a member OF the
body 40 the northern end OF the
Capitol
Il said Il ia that facetous vein in
which one says So this is Paris" or
so this Is golf,' Today I say it
again. so this is the senate But
observe. 7 am not facetious now.
What Is the senate a good
many people in this country are ask
Ing nowadays. why is the senator
have been a member of 30 for more
years than I am goins 20 cnumerate
here. and i confess I am 5tumped TO
give a sensible answer 90 either ques-
ton.
ooh. yes. 7 know its constitutional
function and place I'M our govern
mental scheme. 7 know 10 arouses
much righteous mitigation when-any-
body casts aspersions on che ancient
and honorable body. Aspersions,
criticism. ridicule hurt when they are
true. That is why senator's Get hop
ping mad when anybody asks. Why
is the senator and somebody else
says. I'll bite: what Is it,
Grotesque Congress"
The other day 1 read I'm a popular
magazine a reference TO congress as
that grotesque thing. I nearly wrote
that author a letter complimerting
him on his precise definition. Con
zress f. grotesque. In the abstract.
II IS a great institution, a wonderful
forum. a bulwark Of liberty But
practically. 10 works with less effec-
tiveness than the ordinary borough
council. Again L ask, Why
and again, 7 am compelled 10
answer that I do not know. I can
tell you my own experience. and per
haps that gives as good an index to
the trouble with congress as any
thing
For some years past I have had
no purpose I'm life definite enough 10
be worthy the name. 7 have been
plugging along in a rut. I never
realized il until recently. I haven't
even had I'm mind definitely at least,
the purpose OF being reelected ]
find now, as 7 look back that this is
true I have gone out and gotten
myself reelected. Of course, but
without 1nuch knowing why. have
made speeches TO my people, ina
which I have promised this and that
IN what a friend Of mine used to call
general glowingalities.' But for the
life OF me. ] cannot tell you why
am en- the senate today.
Ideal Is Reelection.
at have found that senators-an
legislators. for that matter-natural-
~ fall into two groups when they
get 10 Washington. In one group
are the men who keep their local
sense. and their close connection with
their home people; who devote them
selves to looking after individual
wants. Tn the other group are those
who regard themselves as servants
% the nation as a whole, and who
as soon as they conveniently can
forget eli about the petty demands
OF the separate voters back home,
and aspire TO greatness as national
figures.
''Now. after a time, YOU discover
at least I have discovered third
group. belong 20 IT, It is the
group that sticks neither TO the one
nor the other of the main ideas out
lined above-the group OF indefn-
ties call them. And my life in
the senate convinces me that IL Is
the largest group OF all
THE fnde6rltes' have only one
idea. II any. That IS 20 get re-
elected. oh. they are honorable men.
and some OF them are able men.
But they get lazy. The enervatine
climate OF Washington, perhaps -
and its social climate is quite ener-
waiting. In my own case 80 has been