Evening star., 1937-12-30
Trading and Log Rolling
For More Remuneration

10 tpe Iditor OF the star:
One Of the condemned practices In
legislation by Congress is called trading"
or log rolling" It was surprising, there
fore, to find in your issue Of December
%, 1887 (page Al, column 81 that Secre-
tary Wallace had made an appeal for
farmer support Of wage-hour legislation
in return for labor support on the farm
bill. If not misunderstood, 1t would be
In the public interest for the Secretary
and others to read some remarks during
the recent special session of Congress.
THE apparent effort of some of the
supporters Of the hours-and-wagesb bill in
its present form to make their support
of the pending farm measure dependent
upon what Representatives feel they
should do about hours-and-wages legis-
lation does not appeal to me, and In
my judgment is grossly unfair and will
resound to the injury of both farmers
and workers if persisted in. Such
procedure might we'll result In the
passage of legislation on both subjects
which majority of the House did not
at heart approve. My vote on the farm
bill, and my vote on the wages-and-
hours bill, should it come before the
House. will both be dictated by my feel
ing as to their respective merits, and
not by whether some other Representa-
tive is voting for or against either one.
And I respectfully submit to you that
for any member to pass upon legislation
under his oath upon any other basis
is prostitution of the duties Of his
office Congressional Record, December
!, 1887, page 879).
If members of the House voted freely
as their reason and conscience dictate,
both this bill and the WageS-and-h
bill would be defeated overwhelmingly.
But horse-trading has been forced. and
God pity the people" Congressional
Record, December 2, 1887, page 95O.
1T is source of genuine regret to
me that consideration of the merits of
the bill has, in some quarters, If re-
ports in the morning papers are accu-
rate, been reduced to purely log rolling
proposition. Those advocating the pend
ing wage-and-hour bill will trade sup
port for the farm measure for support
Of the Wage-and-hour measure.
"On more than one occasion have
publicly stated that we are rapidly de-
veloping government by group pressure,
and I deplore ,that tendency. If sup
>port for one measure is to be traded
Tor support OF another measure. regard
less Of the merits Of either, what hope
is there for the perpetuity of our repre-
sentative form of democracy? Con-
gressional Record, December !, 1887.
page 893)
Here are two bills. the farm bill and
the wage-and-hour bill, which no one
apparently is for as they are presented
to us, but we are told that the proponents
OF the two measures are entering into
trades In order to get them passed.
have never been legislative trader.
like to feel that every piece of legis-
lation should stand on its own. The
farm bill ought to be passed or de-
feated on its merits or lack of merit. The
same is true of the wage-and- hour bill.
II they are good, it ought not to be
necessary to enter into any unholy or
other alliance to pass them If they
are bad, they should be defeated in
spite Of such alliance Congressional
Record, December 2, 1887. page 97D.
Such brave and bold words in oppisi-
ton to the practice ought to have far
reaching influence for its abolition
among men who have self-respect and
some consideration for the welfare of
all the people.
JOSEPH w. CHEYNEY.