The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-01-21

allowing absenteeism to develop in
Congress. History shows that many
legislators have been over-confident
as to their standing with constituents
and absent themselves from commit
tee meetings and important roll calls
in the Senate and House. The lead
ers of the opposition in the home
districts usually make it point tc
follow the record of the incumbent
so that they may show the voters Of
the district the representatives short
comings.
The men designated as "whips" of
the Senate and House have a ire
mendous responsibility on their hands
of getting out the vote when meas
ures are closely contested. The
"whips" are not at all resistant about
telling the tardy and Indifferent leg
islators just what they think. In
other words, the whip of the House
occupies role similar to that of a
truant officer to the hayward school
boy. Some senators and congress
men feel that with an efficient sec
rotary they can hoodwink their con-
stituents by pretending they are pres
ent in Washington on official busi-
ness. Sometimes this works very
well but as a rule it has it's draw
backs for the political opponents are
ever on the lookout.
r.
Now that the furry over the right
of Gerald Nye to a seat in the SEN
ate has been settled, the backwash re-
mains. In the debate over the pow
err of the Governor to appoint Mr..
Nye, reference was made to the pro-
position as whole. 1t brought some
bitterness to the surface as several
other Senators were holding their
places on gubernatorial warrant and
not by the express wish of the vot-
ers. In these days of direct primar-
les is one thing to obtain an an
pointmenr through political meth
dds but another matter to get the
votes at elections.
Usually governor, looking to
higher posts at the gift of the peo-
pie of the commonwealth, will name
a Senator to succeed to a vacancy,
who in exchange for the great IA
vor, will agree not to oppose the DON
or in the primaries. Sometimes
short term makes the incumbent am
bilious to retain the position even
to the extent of locking horns with
the sponsor. AS one-third of the
Senate membership will be changed
at the fall elections, both parties are
out to gain control of the Upper
Chamber.
Not day passes without somebody
dragging out the much mooted ques-
ton of "trusts and trust-busting
Somehow the hue and cry in Congress
falls flat this season for the public
takes the agitation for what it is
W. nth. Then tho, the Federal gov
ernment is noi backward in monopo-
li7ing certain industrial fields so that
officials, if they are consistent, are
obliged to wink one eye and close
!i.e other.
The Department of Commerce has
much to say about foreign rubber
trusts subsidized by their govern
ments; certain groups talk of an
aluminium combination in restraint of
trade; the farmers are at odds over
methods of marketing their products
and the relation of the government
thereto. The price and supply of
coal does not seem to concern the
Congress or the Administration. The
tax bill is disputed holly but the
chances are that nobody, especially
those seeking reelection, will be as
shot -sighted as to prolong the con-
troversy. Taxes arc que March 15
and conditions as to rares are items
f.,!s oy the public not the free talk
in the Capitol.