The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1939-08-17

VAC SCAote, anu, q. 10 represent the
individual citizens which is &C.
complished through the house of
representatives. The house, there
fore, Is held to be the body more
responsive to individual thinking
among the people and to react more
quickly to changes in public senti-
ment. That matter of having taxa
ton originate in the house, there
fore, is seen to be an attempt to re-
fleet in the legislative acts the
Willingness or unwillingness of the
people to stand for taxes, since the
house members must stand for
election each two years.
Again, when the Constitution said
that appropriations had to be en-
acted as law before money is paid
out OF the treasury, there was a
patent curb on wild and profligate
spending. The house, being closer
to the people, first felt the call of
the people for government spend
ing and responded. Since the SEN
ators. too. are elected by direct vote
OF the people, they also heard the
siren call and voted out money with
the greatest Of ease. But the house
led the way.
Lately, however, there has been
a change in that individual think
ing. The majority of the people
have begun to wonder where all of
this spending was going to end;
hey began to wonder how the ma
tional debt-now well above $45,-
DOC, 600, 000-would ever be paid.
They smelled fresh taxes. The
senate heard, but failed to heed,
this new call. Senators chiseled
and nibbled at curtailment, but they
did not put their mind to the bus
mess of cutting expenditures. It
was the house that led the way,
again. And, as said earlier, they
acted definitely by refusing even to
debate the two cornerstone bills
the spending-lending bill and the
housing bill. t-s a
Action Of House Reflects
VIII Of People on Spending
It is made to appear, therefore,
that the concept of the Constitu-
tion's authors was correct. They felt
that the house would hear from
home, as we say these days. And
the house has heard. Politics, alone
was not responsible, except inso-
far as politics represents the shifts
in position that statesmen must
take to meet the changes in pub
lie sentiment. -"
The bulk of the people, it seems
have suddenly awakened to the
fact that something must be done
about the continued spree upon
which the federal government has
oeen engaged in the last five OF
six years
The refusal of the house to act
cannot be catalogued otherwise
than as rejecting the will of the
people, for the politician who knows
his onions seldom Is seen going IL
the wrong direction if the votes OF
his constituents are concerned.
Whether the economy wave that
swept through the house in the last
few weeks Of a session that is des-
tined to be historically important
will be maintained in the next ses-
sion of the Seventy-sixth congress-
Of course, is matter of conjecture
It is to be noted that primaries for
nominations come along early next
spring and summer. Following
those primaries in natural sequence
are the November elections. If the
members of the house and senate
who have baked at running the
federal government further into
debt take the same position in the
session starting next January, then
I am inclined to the opinion that
cur nation will be on the way out
of it's troubles. I always hedge
statements about congress, how
ever, because politicians will some
times place party above, principle.
They might deem it necessary to