The Indian Dispossessed
"government by the people." This persistent miscarriage of good intentions leads to the inquiry whether the Government really does represent the people.
It is the ideal of statesmanship that statesmen determine questions of national policy on broad lines of national expediency, without undue regard for the more narrow desires of their respective constituents; but it is enough to expect of the average representative that on all questions his views will be more or less colored by the interests of those to whom he looks for support. Assuming that each member of Congress is indebted for his office directly to the people, and not to other combined interests (but what an assumption!), there is no menace to the public welfare in this narrower statesmanship; the resultant of their legislative efforts will be along the line of greatest good to the greatest number.
But the main business of Congress—or, rather, of congressmen—is not the determination of national issues. The final measure of a congressman's political usefulness is his ability to secure a fair share of governmental favors for his district, and for his political supporters. Harbor and river improvements, fortifications, dry docks, arsenals, federal buildings, irrigation plants, and ten thousand and one desirable federal offices,—all these are within the gift of Congress, and every congressman has a right to indulge the hope that, with reasonable endeavor on
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