Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-02-26
THE LIFE OF A CONGRESSMAN.

Not So Easy as Many Imagine-The Null.
hilarious Requirement of Their Position
The Pecuniary and Other Demands
Made Upon Them.
1t is a common thing to hear men
envy the " easy life'' of Congressman
/ To persons who never or rarely visit
Washington and are, therefore, unac-
quainted with the duties of Congress
man and the labors that are imposed
upon him, the belief is universal that a
member dwells upon "f1owery beds OF
ease," and that he has nothing to dc
but make speech occasionally and
draw $4,000 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 recreation.
He is one of the hardest-worked men in
this country. Years ago, when the pop
ulation was smaller, when mail facilities
were of the stage-coach order, and when
but few citizens had any business with
| uAO PuOhS uCR1l OluClto dt w tOI,
Congressman had not great deal to do.
Their constituents seldom came to the
Capital, because the trip was tedious
and expensive. Letters were few and
far between, and there were but few
pensions and claims to look after. Then
the N. C.'s gave themselves up very
largely to pleasure. In those days
cards, horse-racing and cock-fghting
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. If he neglects these calls upon
him he jeopardizes his hold upon his
seat.
The man who has a 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
LII LID VI SlnlhI 0s9,CLlCo III Ihio Siuys AAO
incloses the papers relating to the mat
ter 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 claimant, who
forthwith declares and works for some
other aspirant for Congressional honors.
The last time General Rice, late Demo-
cratic candidate for Lieutenant-G Governor
of Ohio, was in Washington he said: ga
Congressman who tries to meet all the
demands upon him has the work of three
men to perform. In the first place
there's his duty upon the floor. If 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 oughteto do. Then there's his
Committee work. Not only the work of
the Committees to which he may belong,
but there are matters referred to nearly
all the Committees which he ought to
ook after. Then there's his Depart
ment work. There is not a Department
of the Government, aye, scarcely a
division of any Department, in which
some of his constituents haven't some
thing of interest to them. Applications
for appointments to positions, claims,
pensions, and the many stages through
which all these matters have to 60"
General Rice did not say this complain
ingly, for no member ever attended
more faithfully to his duties than he.
He was simply showing that 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 constituent, even though he
may have been "out on a lark" finds |
himself in Washington without money,
he expects the Congressman who repre-
sents him to replenish 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 telegraphed or come in per-
son 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 Connecticut, while in the
United States Senate, said he
would be glad to make over his
entire salary to any responsible
person who would agree to meet the
calls for charity and for assistance upon
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