Evening star., 1945-10-31
Writer Halls Congress
After 35-Yeur Study

After 35-Yedr Study
Says Nation Has Abiding Faith
in Representative System
By David Laurence
Thirty-five years ago today this cor
respondent came to the National Capt.
tai to write about public affairs. Being
81 years Of age and just out Of college,
1t was natural perhaps that q bit Of
cynicism about government should ut
first have crept into his mind.
Today, in recollection over the years.
the one thing that stands out more
clearly than any other is an abiding faith
In the representative system Of govern
ment. The American people like to criti-
cize their institutions and even 60 30 far
at times as to satirize their public men,
but close observation Of the trends
OF opinion and Of the ups and downs of
legislative controversies over the 35
years leads to the conclusion that the
Government is responsive to public de-
sires. Congress Is in reality far more
representative of the public wish than
is generally believed even by the people
themselves.
On many an occasion 1t has seemed
to the writer that the collective think
ing of Congress has been wrong, that
its delays or postponements have dis
regarded the public need or demand.
Allowing for some instances in which
| all the facts have not been available to
| Congress at the time or public thought
has failed to crystalline clearly, 1t Is
this correspondents belief that the
votes in Congress have turned out only
on rare occasions to be at variance with
the currents of public opinion outside
of Washington.
Feel Back Home" Attitude.
There always will be a question as to
whether Congress should guide or be
guided by public opinion. But however
commendable it may be to encourage
legislators to take the leadership in pub
lie thought-in educating their con-
stituents-it has been my impression
that Senators and Representatives do
earnestly endeavor to interpret the
desires Of the people. To the extent
that these interpretations constitute
sometimes an anticipation of the cit
liens wishes, it is often true that Sen
ators and Representatives feel an In
stinctive reaction. They frequently
feel the backbone" attitude on
particular measures before the people
express themselves.
| Representative government Is, Of
course, cumbersome thing. Many i'm
provements in forms and procedures
remain to be made as population grows
and the responsibility of Government
increases. But despite the criticisms of
Government frequently heard, despite
the denunciation of governmental
bureaucrats and their occasional abuses
of power, it is a fact that the citizens
demand of Government far more than
Government is able to give them in the
way of service.
Public officials, 1t has seemed to me.
are in the main honest. The unsung
| public servants are in the administra-
tive categories. Their fidelity TO the
public interest as well as their tncor-
ruptibility is unrivaled anywhere in
the world.
Like all institutions Government has
its weak spots. Ambitious and un-
scrupulous men sometimes acquire
authority and exercise it for purposes
of personal prestige or to the detriment
of the governmental process. But these
are the exception rather than the rule
The periods of abuse Of power are
relatively short. The cycle OF good
administration inevitably emerges out
of ineptitude or mistaken zeal.
Healthy Air Of Inquiry.
The most important factor in the
operation of our representative system
is the power of Congress to enter any
hidden place and expose to the healthy
air of inquiry such facts as are pertinent
to the public interest. The investigating
committees have at times overreached
themselves but corrective public opin-
ion has usually put stop to such abuse
On the whole-irritating though II
may be-the constitutional immunity Of
members of Congress to law suit fol
what they say on the floor of the Senate
or House or in committee has been ar
advantage rather than q disadvantage
TO representative government
Looking back over the years, thi
writer's respect for men in public offic,
has increased rather than diminished
and above all there has grown up ii
my mind an unequivocal conviction tina
the freedom of the press is the real safe
guard to representative government
Minority views sometimes become major
ity views in the court of public opinion
Irresponsibility of utterance is to be de
plored, but even irresponsibility otter
becomes the forerunner of responsibility
The evolution of press criticism has beer
toward greater and greater responsibilit,
and, in the last analysis, an informed
opinion is the best assurance of the con.
tinuance of representative government
This is an anniversary on which tn,
writer may appear to some as optimisti,
about the quality of representative gov.
ernment in America, but the optimism
is born of repeated experience which
has proved that legislative proposals anc
laws have rarely been as bad as thei
critics said they were and often bette,
than their sponsors ever ventured tx
claim.
Reproduction Rishts Reserved3
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