WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE?

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 10, 1904

WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE?

THE people are wont to complain of the lavish expenditure of public funds by Congress, yet they fail to appreciate how far they are themselves responsible for it. The recognized prime qualification of a representative in Congress is his influence in securing money appropriations for his district. If he become a candidate for re-election, his friends will point first of all to what he has done in the way of getting public appropriations for his constituents. Or if he has not been successful in that respect, he will not be likely to have many friends, and his opponents will make the most of his failure to get public money to spend in the community. Therefore the main thing that the congressman who desires re-election must look after is home appropriation; and in order to succeed he must reciprocate with his fellow members. He must vote for other appropriations for public improvement in order to get votes for his own district. It is very peculiar that among all the complaints that are made about the extravagances of Congress, the people seldom assume that too much government money is expended in their own immediate locality. The same principle applies in reference to State Legislatures. The representative who is most reckless of the public revenues, if he but secure good appropriations for home expenditure, is the man who is most popular with his constituents. Then is it surprising if such an one should narrow the limit, where possible, and work for his individual interest? With all the censure that such public servants are subject to, they are usually true types of the people they represent.