Logroll [E]

Logroll 議案を通過させるための相互援助

04:30

Words and Their Stories -- a program about special American expressions.

As we all know, every language has its special way of saying things -- its idioms or colloquial expressions. These give a language its character because that is how people speak, in idioms.

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J03

American speech owes much to the kind of life found in the so-called New World populated by Indians. The Indians enriched American speech, so did life in the new wilderness. It was a frontier life, far removed from civilization. This wilderness gave to the men of the frontier a speech that had the roughness of desert plants like the cactus or the flavor of wild fruit. This strange land helped in the creation of many new phrases such as the expression, "to logroll."

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J04

Today, it has lost its first meaning. It is now used to describe political deals. Two legislators, for example, make an agreement to vote for each other's legislative proposals. They agreed to do this even if the legislation is bad and they are against it in principle. They have made a deal: "You scratch my back and I will scratch yours." And that is how critics have described it: "That is logrolling."

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J05

There was a time, however, when it meant something different. In the early days, it meant helping each other for a good purpose. The early settler's first task was to find shelter from the weather, from hostile Indians, and from wild animals. Trees had to be cut down; a place had to be cleared; then a man could build his log cabin. The trees had to be cut into logs, and these had to be pulled to the place where the house was to be built. The logs were heavy. Clearly, this was a job that was too much for one man. Therefore, when a man had cut his logs, he would call on his neighbors for help. They came and helped him to roll the logs to where he planned to build his house. He, in turn, was ever ready to help others in rolling their logs.

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J06

Many years later, however, the meaning of the phrase changed just as the practice of logrolling changed. When this happened, I do not know. It seems to have first become part of politics. Someone also used the word to describe the behavior of a number of book reviewers and literary critics. They were accused of praising the books of friends or writers that they liked even if these were not good. They were accused of rolling logs for their friends. But the expression began to be more freely used in politics, perhaps because logrolling became more common among legislative bodies both national and state. Some say, "There is nothing really wrong about logrolling." True if for a good purpose, but time and again over the years, logrolling has produced some shady deals, and questionable legislation. Many, therefore, do not trust logrolling, and often condemn it.

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J07

In recent years, this mistrust has increased as Americans have grown more suspicious of politicians. There is a feeling among people that logrollers help only special groups, the rich and the powerful. The common people would perhaps complain less if just a few more logs were rolled their way. "

Voice of America

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