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The Commoner.
When Congress Should Convene
.OLTJMID 13, NUMBER SI
but examin&tionij or other testa have hoen justJ.
fled or excused m the past on the practical
ground that in no other way can progress away
from spoils be made. Chicago Record-Herali
Senator John F. Shaffroth of Colorado, haa
Introduced a Joint resolution rolating to tho
meeting of congress. An interesting descrip
tion of this resolution was written by Senator
Shaffroth and printed in Leslie's Weekly. Hero
it is:
At the opening of congress I introduced in
tho senate a joint resolution, providing for tho
adoption of a constitutional amendment, as
follows:
ARTICLE XVIII
"Section 1. Tho terras of the president and
vico president of tho United States shall com
monco on tho second Monday in January fol
lowing tho election of presidential and vice
presidential electors, and such electors shall
nsseniblo at the capitols of their respective
states and cast their votes for president and vico
president on tho first Monday in December fol
lowing their election.
"Section 2. The terms of senators and rep
resentatives shall commenco on the first Mon
day in January following their election.
"Section 3. Thore shall bo hold two regular
sessions of congress convening on tho first Mon
day of January oach year."
Under tho present system congress is elected
on tho first Tuesday in November of tho even
years and does not convene in regular session
until tho first Monday of December of the year
following. What a travesty upon representa
tive government is the meeting of congress thir
teen months aftor its election! What a delusion
is tho statement that representatives come fresh
from tho peoplo! What an opportunity Is
afforded to forgot tho pledges made at the elec
tion! It is true an extraordinary session may
bo called early, but such sessions are limited
generally to one subject and are not usually
favored by tho p'eoplo. It is essential to good
government that the expressed will of the people
by crystalizod into law at tho earliest practical
moment.
Tho terms of office of senators and represen
tatives expire on tho 3rd day of March, and
now tho second regular session is held during
tho three montliB immediately preceding. This
Becond regular session is held aftor tho elec
tion of the now congress, and after many of its
members have "been repudiated by the people.
To permit such senators and representatives,
aftor they have failod of election, to still repre
sent their constituents is contrary to every
principle of our government.
Often there is a complete political change of
administration, but under the present system
wo have tho representatives of the old political
party for throe months aftor dofoat, passing
laws directly in conflict with tho last expressed
will of tho people. Not even the legislative
bodies of monarchies are permitted to so mis
represent their constituents. An examination
of the statutes at largo will disclose that out
side of tho general appropriation and private
pension bills three-fourths of the legislation of
a congress is enacted during the second regu
lar session.
Tho record of each senator and representative
should be completed before he comes before his
constituents for indorsement. After ho has
boon turned down by the peoplo he is not In a
fit frame of mind to legislate in their behalf.
If ho is open to tho temptation of a bribe, then
is tho timo it is offered and received. Even
those who are not subject to temptation often
loso interest in legislation after failure of elec
tion. It is well known that defeated members,
during the closing session, often absent them
selves for weeks and sometimes months.
A session should not bo held which Is
brought to a close by constitutional limitation.
Measures in behalf of the people aro often de
feated thereby. By postponing many measures
to tho expiring days of the limited session, such
a congestion of bills is effected as often pre
cludes tho consideration of moasures most in
timately connected with the welfare of tho
peoplo.
The meeting of congress thirteen months
after tho election produces a most inequitable
result in contested election cases. Tho term of
a congressman is nearly half served before the
committee can enter upon tho consideration of
his case, and It is not brought to a vote in tho
houso until 15 to 24 months after the com
mencement of tho term. Tho government in tho
meantime pays the salary to ono who serves
and also to the contestant, should ho be seated.
During all that time the congressional district,
at least politically, is misrepresented.
The timo for tho convening of congress on
tho first Monday in December is very inoppor
tune. An adjournment of two weeks for the
Christmas holidays is always taken and many
mombers go to their homes, returning late. No
real work is done until January.
Heretofore it has been deemed inexpedient
to pass this constitutional amendment because
senators were not elected by the legislatures until
tho middle of January, and sometimes not until
February or March. Then tho warm season
would be too near to permit the holding of a
long session of congress for the consideration
of general legislation, but since senators here
after are to be elected by the people, at tho
general November election, it becomes very op
portune for congress to convene in January.
This is one of the most important reforms
needed in our government; because it relates
to tho procedure by which all reforms can bo
enacted.
Equally strong reasons exist for the change
in tho terms of the president and vice presi
dent. They should enter upon the performance
of their duties as soon as the new congress can
count the electoral votes, just as the newly
elected governors of our states are inducted
into office as soon as the new legislatures of
the states canvass the votes and declare them
elected. As it is now it is the old congress which
counts the electoral votes.
After a very close election, which changes tho
political complexion of an administration, it is
dangerous to permit the defeated party to re
tain control of the machinery by which such
important officers are declared elected. Under
our constitution, upon the failure of any can
didate to receive a majority of the electoral
votes, it devolves upon the house of representa
tivs to elect, the representation from each stato
having one vote. This a' present is done not
by the new congress, but by the old one. There
by it is possible for a political party repudiated
by the people to elect a president. This is a
clear violation of the principle of representa
tive government.
The constitution further provides: "If the
house of representatives shall not choose a
president whenever the right of choice shall de
volve upon them, before the fourth day of
March next following, then the vice president
shall act as president, as in the case of death
or other constitutional disability of the presi
dent." What a temptation for delay and for
the defeat of the true choice of the people!
The fact that tho weather of January would
bo inclement for an inaugural parade is too in
significant a reason to prevent tho adoption of
a constitutional amendment which promises so
much for good government. Why should wo
have in -a republic the great pomp and ceremony
which usually attend tho coronation of mon
archy? If we must have them, why can not they
be in the nature of celebrations at some season
able timo?
True representative government requires
that congress should convene soon after the
election thereof and the executive officers should
commence their administration without hin
dranco or delay.
AN OBJECT LESSON
fC
Saved from SubBidy or tho Tariff That DM
Not Happen," is the title of an interesting story
written in brief form by Louis F. Post in tho
Public. Mr. Post says:
"The value of commercial freedom has been
strikingly illustrated in tho economic history
of tho city of New Bedford, Mass. Fifty years
ago this town was the center of the American
whaling industry. It sustained a fleet of valu
able whaling vessels which built up many pri
vate fortunes. When mineral oil was discovered
in Pennsylvania and Ohio the sale of whale oil
began to diminish, and soon the whaling indus
try was practically abandoned. Numerous ves
sels were lying idle at the docks; New Bed
ford was in despair. If the discovery of tho
mineral oil had occurred in a foreign country
the tariff treatment would havo been instantly
applied; a gradually increasing duty would
have been imposed, and New Bedford would
have taxed the whole country to support her
diminishing trade. Fortunately for the stricken
town the use of the -tariff weapon was not pos
sible. For a' very brief period New Bedford
sat . down to grieve over her ruined fortunes.
Then she picked herself up, and established a
group of manufactures which have immensely
increased her wealth and which are indefinitely
multiplying her population."
KIND WORDS
Sacramento Bee: The Alameda Times-Star
says Bryan has followed "a wonderfully sinuous
course" in the past sixteen years; and that "he
has, as a Transvaaler would say, leaped from
kopjo to kopje."
That is the language of flippant ignorance.
If there be one public man above all others
in this union who has stood firmly by his prin
ciples through all these years, that man is W. J.
Bryan.
He has lived to see what was denounced six
teen years ago as Bryan radicalism become not
alone the shibboleth of the progressive party,
hut as well the pillar of cloud by day, the pillar
of fire by night of President Woodrow Wilson.
And the great secret of his strength with the
American people is that they feel he is thorough
ly sincere and in earnest in all he does, and that
he stands by his principles and never changes
with the changing winds of politics.
Mr. Bryan's Selected Speeches. Revised and
arranged in a convenient two-volume edition.
These books present Mr. Bryan's most notable
addresses and orations, and cover the chief
important phases and features of his career as
an orator and advocate. A familiarly intimato
and interesting biographical introduction by
Mary Baird Bryan, his wife, opens Volume I.
The two volumes, bound in cloth, sent to any
address prepaid on receipt of price, $2.00. Tho
half leather edition, 2 vols., sent for $3.00,
prepaid. Address The Commoner, Lincoln, Neb.
THE POSTOFFIOE "MERIT" ORDER
There is nothing unexpected in tho executive
order relating to the 50,000 fourth-class post
masters who were placed within the classified
service by tho eleventh-hour Taft order of
October 15. President Wilson, whose devotion
to the merit principle needs no further proof
has directed an examination to test the efficiency
of the incumbents, as well as of other appli
cants. The offices are not recaptured by the
spoilsmen; tho now executive order merely cor
rects what was defective and "political" in tho
Taft action, which was much criticised at tho
time even by earnest civil service reformers If
tho tests are to bo fair and businesslike, and if
in making tho appointments the heads of the
departments will permit no politics or partisan
ship to influence their decisions, no friend of
merit and efficiency will havo cause for regrets
or complaints.
Sweeping orders or statutes placing thous
ands of men within any classified service with-
THE HEART OP THE TREES
What does he plant who plants a tree?
Ho plants the friend of the sun and sky;
He plants the flag of the breezes free;
The shaft of beauty towering high;
He plants a home to heaven ahigh
For song and mother croon of bird
In hushed and happy twilight heard
The treble of heaven's harmony
These things he plants who plants a tree.
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants cool shade and tender rain
And seed and bud of days to be,
And years that flush and fade again;
He plants the glory of the plain;
He plants the forest's heritage;
The harvest of a coming age;
The joy that unborn eyes shall see
These things he plants who plants a tree.
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He phints, in sap and leaf and wood,
In love of home and loyalty
And far-cast thought of civic good
His blessing on tho neighborhood,
Who in tho hollow of his hand
Holds all the growth of all our land
A nation's growth from sea to sea
Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.
Henry Cuyler Bunner.
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