Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-04-07
Says Senators Must
Not Ask for Fuvors
Seeks Law Furnishing Efforts
To Get Special Treatment
For Constituents

To Get Special Treatment
For Constituents
To the Editor Of The Star:
Not a day passes in Washington that
civil service officials are not asked by
some job-hungry Congressman to vio-
late the laws they have sworn to obey.
Sometimes threats are employed. A few
months ago Senator demanded that
room be made in the Library of Con-
gress for the employment of one or more
of his constituents. When his demand
was refused-as it had to be-he at
tempted to take the official life of one
of our most valued public servants, DR..
Herbert Putnam, the librarian. We
cannot teach that Senator decency but
we can curb his power for mischief by
taking course so obvious, so con-
sonant with common sense and the
teachings of experience that we must
marvel at the stupidity which has hith-
erto blinded us to its ACCESSIBILITY.
Our Senators and Representatives are
paid to perform certain duties, one of
which Is the supervision of the admin
istration of the different departments
of the Government and conducting the
quasi judicial Investigations associated
with that supervision. The impartial
performance of that duty can only be
impeded if the Investigators have sought
and received-Or been refused-favOrS
by those whom they must investigate.
The course I am advocating has al
ready received congressional sanction.
There is law upon our statute books
making 1t a misdemeanor for men,
Der of either house to. attempt to ex-
pedite or otherwise promote any appu-
cation made to the United States Land
Office. A prosecution under that law
was instituted Is or 20 years ago and
the Senator defendant escaped convic-
stead Of asking that his constituents
request be granted, he wrote asking
that his friend be not given ANY the
worst of It," The court decided, wrongly,
no doubt, that the letter expressed q
pious hope rather than request. But
the warning was effective.
It will be admitted that Senators do
the attainment of lawful ends. For
those routine applications suffice. If the
mission of the Senator is to advance a
public policy of national advantage he
will make his advocacy as open and as
notorious as possible so that he will get
his full measure of applause. His efforts
will be clandestine only when their
interest.
The treaty of Berlin Q92D forbids
the importation by Germany of arms
munitions and war material of every
kind" and the Neutrality Act of Jan
uary, 1887, specifically bans the issuance
Of any export license which would tend
to defeat the purpose OF the treaty.
These laws do not operate to impede
the forbidden business, they merely
make it necessary for the would-be ex-
porter to have his Senator aid him in
getting the license! The export of au-
tomato pistols, rifles and planes to Ger
many went merrily on until March 81,
1888, and was aided by men who, in the
Senate, advocated the act of Congress
which was violated by the issuance of
the permits.
So 1t has been with shipments of
scrap metal to Japan to aid her preda-
tory and savage var against China
The sentiment OF the country is unani-
nous against permitting such shipments
and Congress as body disapproves of
them, but the individual Senator when
approached by constituent junk mer-
chant feels that he is compelled to go
to the State Department and advocate
course Of action which his conscience
and his sense of duty disapprove.
If bill were introduced forbidding
the members of either House to engage
in matters beyond the scope Of their
duties as contemplated by the Constitu-
ton, what Senator or Representative
would object to its passage? Only one
who would hope to be paid money for
his lobbying service. Probably, there is
none of that type in Congress. Then
there would be no opposition. No sane
and legitimately busy man will object
to being relieved from unremunerative
tasks which hinder him in the per-
Torrance of his more legitimate duties.
The absence of proper statutory re-
striction upon congressional activity
has worked irreparable harm. Forty
years ago, Woodrow Wilson wrote that
the chief value of the United States
Senate was due to the method by which
Its members were chosen. He stated
that "by the mode of election the Senate
is almost entirely removed from that
temptation to servile obedience to the
whims OF popular constituencies to
which the House Is constantly subject"
That "chief value" has now been lost.
The fatal 18th amendment making the
Senate "amenable to the whims of pop
ular constituencies" was adopted In
order to check the manipulation of State
legislatures by corporations seeking the
election of messenger boy Senators
and who were willing to buy legislators
to insure their election. Had 1t been
always unlawful for Senators to seek
favors for their constituents, we would
have been spared the most disastrous
departure ever made from our original
plan of government and our Senators
would not now vote in the coercive fear
of ORGANIZED QrollpS