Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1869-04-03

RAIDS ON MEMBERS or 'OoNoREse. To
show eurresders how member Of Congress
is run down by office.hunters, we publish
the following sketch Of the situation Of sf.
fairs by Washington correspondent Of the
Philadelphia Pres, which is not overdrawp,
but in some respects falls short oftho reality :
= EVERY Office seeker has mode Of operat.
| ing which speaks volumes for his originality,
and which needs but one thing to make 1t
easy and successful, viz: that Gen. Grant, or
some other patron, shall think him as i'm.
portant as he thinks himself A man comes
on here. who Is a mighty fellow in his little
village. lie Is armed with letters from the
squire, a testimonial from Grant and Col
fax Club, q blank application, and two clean
| shirts; and as he kisses his proud wife good.
bye, to return postmaster, triumphant over
| a dozen competitors, he bames himself for
not having aimed higher. If Grant only
knew bis worth, he, the applicant, would be
O dispenser of post Offices. One hundred
miles from home, lie falls peg In Wash.
iDgton he Is lost, and, estimating himself
more accurately, he fears for his chances. He
finds that Grant will not read his glowing
testimonials, and the Postmaster General
6les his application in box containing ten
for the same place. His member of Congress,
busy In the House and on the committees,
has not made up his mind as TO the proper
man for postmaster. Tremblinsly the can.
ddate calls at his rooms at night, to see
the member alone. Alas there are twenty
more important-lookiug men there, each
begging the members particular influence
for a particular place; besides this, there are
two Of his rivals present. and he begins to
think of all the mean things he ever did, and
wonders If they will be offered in evidence
against him. Besides all the visitors to an.
noy him, he looks on the piles of letters on
the members table, and he is startled when
the member tells him each letter is sn ap-
pication for an Office, to obtain which the
heads of departments and the President
must be called on, and the claims mentioned
In the letters are, as rule, II ON your con.
stituent, and voted for you once" twice, or
three times, as the case may be. The candi-
date for postmaster fritters his time away in
Washington forming resolutions to see and
press his claims on big men, which he never
carries out, and, at last, when the clean shirts
arc thoroughly seiled, and the candidates
money spent, he returns to his village but
little wiser or better. Soon he becomes vain
again, and, by torrent Of buncombe letters,
tries and secures what he failed to do in
person.
Your correspondent has Of late been fire.
quently at the rooms OF friend whose mis-
fortune it is to be in Congress at this time,
and to honest thinking men WHO heretofore
may have felt themselves sighted 10y his not
replying to their letters, will give sketch
of the manner in which the gentleman pass
es his time, and the same may be said Of
nearly every man in the Senate and Congress,
and In 1t they can see an excuse for apparent
neglect. Eight o'clock is not late to rise
when hardworSed man stays up till one or
two in the morning. This is the case with
the gentleman referred to, who rises to find
some half dozen applicants waiting for his
influence before breakfast. He rushes away
from them in time to meet the same number
at the door of the breakfast room, the claims
Of each SO important Us to require the mem
ber's immediate presence at one of the de.
partments, lie succeeds in getting in to
breakfast, nervous and excited. A feverish
sleep is a poor appetizer, but he knows he
must eat, though he would rather sleep. But
even at the table he finds himself attacked.
Some of the aspirants have gained admission,
and the wrctehed member gulps down his
food while he listens to the pressing claims
of some man whose strength lies not in quail
iications, but in fact that he has been insane
enough to vote with the party he deemed
right.
Breakfast over, the members walk from
the room with an office seeker on each side,
one wanting Ohm to 60 to the Navy Depart
ment, the other constituent desiring that he
start for the Interior Department at once or
his case is lost, and this accompanied by an
intimation that in case of failure the Repub-
lican party will lose a vote, more particular
ly the member in question. At the door
the troop is augmented by fresh arrivals,
some of them on the morning train, still big
in their local Importance. The Congressman
must go to the Treasury, and in one half
hour attend the meeting of one of his com.
mittees. Up to the Treasury he is dogged,
and after he leaves it he is again followed.
The committee room is sacred, and he finds
rest in its work till twelve o'clock, when the
session begius, and with it another attack
from the army of office seekers entrenched
in the lobby. Letter after letter and card
after card, are sent in through the
docrkeepers. He is perhaps interested in a
question before tie House, and feels it i'm
portant that his views should he recorded,
but excited and annoyed by the paper bi.lets
lie rushes out to see some man whom he
feels it to be his duty to see, aud in the lob.
by another attack is made from men with
piles of papers and lengthy and selelaIdato-
ry applications. lie puts them otf-"call at
his rooms in the evening he will see them
and dc what he can" lie enters the nall of
the House again to he reassailed by the cards
and claims Of a score Of new arrivals, and he
yields again to the clamor."
THE NATIONAL CREDIT. The first bill
signed by President Grant was IAN act to
strengthen the public credit" which was
Dassed nv the House of Representntiyec nv