Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-29
Say Writers Pick Out
Sensational and Pass
Up Real Efforts.
Comes Back With
Statement That Often
BoardDoors Locked.
BY ROBERT T. SMALL

one thing the matter with congress il
seems 1t needs a press agent. The
question of hiring one has been given
earnest consideration of late, but no
one knows how 10 go about it.
1t has been generally supposed that
with the congressional record always
available and leave to print" rather
generously given in debate, congress
had very enviable means of publicity
to say nothing of the scores of accred-
tied Washington correspondents who
visit the press galleries of the house
and senate from day to day.
The contention now is made that the
real work of congress is not done upon
the floor of the senate and house but
in the committee rooms. The record
of course, takes no heed of committee
proceedings. 1t is a verbatim account
of what takes place on the floor with
an awful lot of extended remarks"
thrown in. Congressman are claiming
now, and will tell the folks back home.
that the Washington correspondents
are almost as negligent of the congress
committees as is the record itself
They are claiming on capitol hill to-
day that this has been a wonderful ses-
sion of congress-but the people don't
know it. The public doesn't know what
has gone on in the committees.
Would Issue Abstract
Representative Fess of Ohio. chair
man of the republican congressional
can()aign committee, is one of those
who have suggested that there ought
TO be some way of congress issuing an
abstract of its work day for general
consumption. He has even gone SO far
as to say that the much maligned COM
mittee on public information did a
commendable piece of work" during the
war, and that its official bulletins con-
stitute source of valuable informa-
ton as to government activities
during the period of hostilities. Every
time, however. the suggestion of con-
gressional bulletin comes up on the
floor. some unregenerate democrat
rises in his place and wants to know
il that is not the suggestion that Will
liam j. Bryan made some time ago.
only to have it poohood by his political
adversaries Such a query naturally |
brings the bulletin debate TO sudden !
and somewhat complete conclusion.
Mr.. Bryan still wants the govern
ment to issue a nonpartisan paper, |
telling all that goes on in the depart !
nents and in congress, presenting both I
he democratic and republican side to
1 controversy. but expressing no opin- |
on thereon.
Charge Newspaper Slight
1t has been charged on the floor of |
he house that the newspapers of the
'apitOl are not doing their part to en-
ighten the American public as to what
congress is actually doing especially
n committees. Even so good a demo-
rat as Representative Anthony G.
Griffin of the Bronx and New York
.ity has declared that the correspond
'nts seldom touch upon work going on
n committees, the hearings of which,
le says. are often illuminated by
lashes of humor ''and by the clash of
mental combat" /
The newspapermen," he complains.
do not go into the work that members
Io-1 mean that silent, unobtrusve
work without display--the hard. tedi-
us work IN the sanctum of the com
nittee room, but they emphasize the
lash work or the sensational things
hat happen on the floor. If | were
o get into controversy with one of
ny friends here and say in a loud
oice: Come outside and settle our
ispute.' you would find that news
apermen would make for the front
all of their gallery and tomorrow
lorning the papers would publish the
pisode on the front pages with large
eadlines. Such news methods culti
ate contemptuous attitude toward
ongress.
Il venture to say that if YOU were
, take poll of our citizenship to-
borrow they would say that represent
tive government in the United States
failure. Why? Because the work
congress is misrepresented or ig-
ored, and that accounts largely. in my
plnlon, for the growth of the boshe-
stlc spirit. Indeed. have heard
,eakers on the stump declare that
zen American newspapers themselves,
1mit that the American congress is
failure and that representative gov
'1hent is thing of the past"
The poor, hard working Washinrton
has had to stand MANY =
hard knock in his day but to have
le entire failure Of congress laid tol
S door, and his door alone, is a little
ore than mortal flesh is supposed to
.ar. The general impression through
e country is that the correspondents
i've been rather kind to congress than
herwise, and that as plain matter t.
fact they have not told what they s
uld. As for the committee work, the +
lblic very often would love to know d
st what has transpired behind the II
osed doors Of constant legislative SEES a
ons, even the reporters have work ed t,
!igently and often in vain 10 find out. ii
But it appears the congressman have r
It to have some one to blame it on y
hen they 60 home and they have pick e,
on the newspapermen as the best ir
ailable goats.a W
What a life: what q lfei ~