The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-02-19

FEBRUARY 19
The Life Of Congressman.
It is a common thing to hear men
envy the " easy ife'' of Congressman.
Washington and are, therefore, unac-
man and the labors that are imposed
upon him, the belief is universal that q
member dwells upon " flowery beds OF
ease," and that he has nothing to do
but make q speech occasionally and
draw $5 900 per year.
A more erroneous idea never pre-
vailed. A member OF Congress who at
tends properly to the needs of his dis
trict and the calls of his constituents
has but little time for pleasure or rec
reation. He is one Of the hardest
worked men in this country. Years
ago, when the population was smaller,
when mail facilities were of the stage
coach order, and when but few citizens
had any business with the public de-
partments at Washington, Congress-
men had not great deal to do. Their
constituents seldom came 70 the Capt.
tai, because the trip was tedious and
expensive. Letters we're few and far
between, and there were but few PEN
sions and claims to look after. Then
the M. C.'s gave themselves up very
largely to pleasure. In those days
cards, horse racing and cock fighting
were popular amusements with the Ma
tional legislators. Ever since the war
the demands of constituents upon their
members have been growing until now
Congressman is expected to attend
promptly TO all business that every
man in his district may have in WASH
ington. II he neglects these calls upon
him he jeopardizes his hold upon his
seat.
The man who has . claim against
the Government for services during the
war, for property taken, or for any
thing else, rarely ever thinks of putting
it in the hands of any of the numerous
law firms or claim agents in, this city.
He encloses the papers relating to the
matter to the member from his district
or one of the Senators from his State,
and urges that his business be hurried
through. Should the Congressman fail
to establish the claim and get the
money, he frequently because of his
failure, makes an enemy of the claim
ant, who forthwith declares and works
for some other aspirant for Congress
sional honors. The last time General
Rice, late Democratic candidate for
Lieutenant-G of Ohio was in
Washington he said. "a Congressman
who tries to meet all the demands upon
him has the work of three men to per-
form. In the first place there's his
duty upon the floor. Ii he keeps trace
of all the bills and public measures,
and labors for the success of his own,
he has as much as any one man ought
to do. Then there's his Committee
work. Not only the work Of the Com
mittees to which he may belong, but
there are matters referred to nearly all
the Committees which he ought to look
after. Then there's his Department
work. There is not Department uf
the Government, aye, scarcely q divi-
sion of any Department, in which some
of his constituents haven't something
of interest to them. Applications for
appointments to positions, claims, PEN
sions and the many stages through which
all these matters have to CO." General
Rice did not say this complainingly,
for no member ever attended more
faithfully to his duties than he. He
was simply showing that a Congress
mans life is not one of ease.
Besides the demands of the nature
described there are thousand and one
pecuniary calls upon members. They
are called upon by mail to contribute to
all charitable movements in their re-
spective districts, and Senators must
meet such requests from the entire
State. Then if q constituent, even
though he may have been "out on a
lark" finds himself in Washington
without money, he expects the Con-
gressman who represents him to replen-
ish his purse and "no questions asked"
In many cases men who have INDUCED
in pleasure in New York, Boston and
other Eastern cities until their funds
were exhausted have frequently tele-
graphed or come in person to their
member or Senators for money to "take
them home" OF course many of these
appeals can be refused, but very many
OF them can not. Mr.. Barnum, of Con-
necticut, while in the United States
Senate, said he would be glad to make
over his entire salary to any RESPONSE
BILE person who would agree to meet the
calls for charity and for ass istance up
on him from his constituents. Mr.. Bar
mum added that he simply referred to
the demands that he felt forced to re-
spond to; that calls of this character
more than consumed his salary every
year. There is now in the Senate q
gentleman who gives every dollar of
his salary to his wife and daughter to
be used in responding to the calls upon
him for help, and in addition to this he
gives, every year, great deal out of
his income from other sources than
Congress. He got the idea of turning
over his salary to the ladies of his fam
lily from the remark of Senator Barnum
quoted above. Mr.. Stephens, of Geor-
gia, since his return to Congress, has
given away thousands of dollars beyond
his salary. Senator Conkling, it is said,
in q very quiet and unostentatious man
ner, annually dispenses more than his
salary in aiding Others. There are very
many others who do the same, and
therefore find themselves at the end of
the year without dollar to reward
them for the arduous duties they have
performed.
Besides the money that is voluntarily
given away Congressman are frequent
1y made victims by pretended constit-
ueRts. Not long ago very goOd-look-
ing man called upon q member from q
distant State and wanted to borrow
$3.50. The applicant for the loan rep
resented himself as brother of lead
ing merchant in one of the principal
towns of the members district.
Then," said the Congressman, ''your
brother will certainly have no objection
to becoming security for you. I'm will
ing to advance any amount upon his
security" "But I'm SO far away"
pleaded the stranger. "You can tele-
graph to him." answered the member.