Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1880-02-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.

sentative ana Cn3ritaOle AnStis
Triton, etc, etci
From Our Regular Correspondence!
WARRINGTON, D. c. January &c.
A more erroneous idea never pre-.
vailed than that the position Of Con.
gresham 10 q sinecure. The real leg
islativs work that the average member
does is small, but his work as claim
agent is onerous in the extreme. A
rural constituency will be satisfied
with the public service Of their repre-
sentative If he makes one or two set
speeches dunng a session. and they
will be delighted if he gets the letter
of some other member in rcpartee;
but, in personal service, the constitd-
ent is more exacting. The member
is expected to look after the interests
of his people at Washington. For
merly, forty years ago, the constitu-
ent had no interests here, but now
this one thinks be is entitled to y
pension; another imagines he has an
invention and his member is expee-
ted to introduce it, and urge its adop.
ton by Congress, the President and
Secretary Of War. The inventor is
willing 70 sell his millions saving de-
vice tor 100000! Then there is the
"cOld water and bran bread society,""
and an intihite variety Of other socie-
ties with schemes for expediting the
millennium that their potent Member
of Congress Is expected to champion,
and for which he is expected to secure
some kind Of recognition by the gov.
eminent, preferably an appropriation.
Ifbe ignores any Of them, he does it
at the peril of losing votes and losing
bis place at the next election. The
man who has 9 claim against the
government for services during the
war, for property taken, or for any,
thing else, rarely ever thinks of put
ting it into the hands Of any of the
numerous law firms or claim agents
In this city. He epcloses the papers
relating TO the matter to the member
from his district or one of the Sens-
tors from his State, and urges that
his business be hurried through.
Should the Congressman fail TO es.
tablish the claim and get the money,
he frequently, because Of his failure,
makes an enemy of the claimant, who
forthwith declares and works for
some other aspirant for Congression.
al honors. A prominent member Of
the Lower House recently said: "a
Congressman who tries to meet all
the demands upon him has the work
Of three men to perform. In the
first place he has his his duty upon
the floor. If be keeps trace of ell
the bills and public measures, and
labors for the success of his own he
has IS much as any one man ought
to do. Then he has his committee
work. Not only the work Of the
committees to which be may belong,
but there are matters referred to all
the committees which he ought to
/ look after. He has besides his De-
partment work. There 10 not a De-
partment of the Government, aye,
scarcely division Of any Depart
ment, in which some Of his constitu-
ents haven't something Of interest to
them. Applications for appoint
ment to positions, claims, pensions,
and the many stages through which
these matters have to CO." The cor
rcspondepce of Member Of Con-
gress, too, entails a great deal Of Ia
Dor. Letters from constituents must
DO answered promptly, and in order
to to do this there is scarcely mem
Der who is not compelled TO employ
a secretary or an amanhensis. Upon
an average, it takes three hours each
day, at least, for the member to read
and reply to the letters he receives.
The impression that Congressman
have nothing to do but enjoy them
selves Is altogether wrong. They
have their troubles and annoyances
as we'll as other people, and, upon the
whole, do not deserve half the CEN
cure they get. Besides the demands
on bis time no Member Of Congress