Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-16
Cases Case

Senator Case has stated that
his original intention was to
vote in favor Of the natural
gas bill. The only reason he
should have had. or which he
could acknowledge. for that
position would be that he con-
sidered it a good bill which
should pass. But 1t was the
same bill after the much
publicized "bribe" incident as
before. Then why change his
vote?
Suppose Senator Case had
made the attempted contribu-
ton and his rejection OF 1t
public. as he did. but had voted
in favor Of the bill. as he had
previously intended to do. He
would thereby have shown con-
fidence in his own judgment
and integrity, and that he
could not be unnerved by q
foolish act Of zealotry. His In
tellectual and moral stature
would have been increased In
stead Of diminished. Yet it is
being made to appear that the
Senator has done something
noble In changing his vote. Is
q vote In resistance to an act
Of pressure any more praise.
worthy than q vote In submis-
sion to an act Of pressure?
Neither one, as such. has any
thing to do with the merits Of
q piece Of legislation. Truly.
the ways Of politics are incom-
prehensible to a simple mind.
C. Glenn WhitIock.
-
The widespread sense Of
outrage at the betrayal of the
consuming public by the So
Senators who voted for the
natural gas bill. while fully
justified, obscures the basic
cause Of that event, For this
vote was only one. albeit q
shocking one. of q long series
Of legislative decisions favor
ing the interests Of specific
local and sectional groups as
against the interests OF the
Nation as a whole. Closer anal
ysis will show that the inner
explanation of the recurring
subservience Of Congress to
particular political and eco
nomic groups at the expense Of
the common welfare is to be
found, not in the alleged cor
ruption or lack of integrity OF
our national legislators, but
rather In a unique feature Of
the American system Of gov
eminent.
! refer to the custom that
requires members Of Congress
to reside In the districts and
States they represent. This
usage. sometimes called the
locality rule" although not a
constitutional requirement for
representatives. when coupled
with the natural desire OF
Congressman for reelection,
leads them inevitably to prefer
the interests Of their own
States and sections to the
larger interests OF the whole
Nation. They cannot afford to
vote for the national interest
when it conflicts With the lesser
interests Of their localities, be-
cause to do so would be to
commit political suicide at the
next election. AS Senator Ken
nedy has shown in his recent
book, ''Profiles In Courage"
few Congressman have the
courage to end their political
lives. Indeed, getting and hold
ing public office is the supreme
ambition OF the politician.
Thus. parochialism is EN-
bedded In the American system
and the larger interests Of the
entire country are repeatedly
sacrificed. The welfare OF the
part is preferred to that OF
the whole.
The consequences OF this
residence requirement are seen
every day on Capitol Hill. The
natural gas producers Of the
Southwest won out against the
consumers Of the Nation. The
sugar producers Of Louisiana
will have their innings. The
tobacco farmers will receive the
changes in acreage allotments
and marketing quotas they
want. The producers Of cotton,
potatoes, peanuts, ETC., will be
taken care OF In good time.
Veterans benefits will be lib
eralized and one group after
another will be subsidized at
the expense OF the taxpayers
of America. in the hope that,
taken together. the combined
gratitude of the members Of
these pressure groups will re-
turn the incumbent Congress-
men to their seas on Capitol
Hill.
The notion that legislators
must live In the districts they
represent In Congress is not.
however, an unacceptable fea-
ture Of representative govern