National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-02-25
THE CONGRESSMAN.
DUTIES ruoumBENTupoN A MEMBER
The Immense Amount Of Labor an ". c. Has Thrust
Upon Him, Showing That tho Position Is
About the Hardest to Pill Ac.
eeptably In the Country.

The vast majority Of the American people lool
upon IN position Of Congressman as one Of higl
honor, which, while IL has its duties and It's respon
abilities, is yet Of easy and pleasant character
having but little real or genuine labor attached
thereto. To the masses the salary is regarded nj
more than equivalent for the services performed
aud the member Of Congress is esteemed as luck,
and fortunate individual. Many are Of the ldci
that the honor OF the position in connection will
its influence in securing positions for friendsant
political adherents is sufficient payment and tina
but little or no salary should be demanded True
there Is prcpondornting desire among the masse,
70 have the most talented and most Trustworthy
men elected as Senators and Representative
they wish statesmen in the halls of Congress bu
at the same time they have not the slightest idea
or conception Of the nrduous labors and severe
trials which men in such positions are compelled
TO undergo. When the manifold nature ofthe
DUTIES INCUMBENT uroS A MEMBER
Of congress is considered, and the numberless IN .
tcuuptions he is called upon TO encounter through
visits Of applicants for Office let ulonc the heavy
amount Of correspondence which he Is Obliged to
carry on, II is TO be wondered that much careful
thought aud attention have, as a general rule,
been given 10 legislative measures affecting the
Interests Of both Government and people. We are
prone 10 moraizing over the decay ofstatesman.
nhip-to regrettlng that nowadays there are no
Clnys, Webstors, or Calhouns, while partisan.
ship instead Of craftsmanship and narrow. minded
sectionalism instead Of broad natonalism seem to
be the controlling elements; but we do not ask
ourselves what opportunities have Congressman
for displaying the abilities with which they arc
nndowed2 Attendance during the sessions of Con.
gress Is but small portion Of the duties they
arc called upon to perform. All cannot have
The floor 10 make speeches or give TO the
public their Views upon this or that measure
MANY ON In tho HOugp mr. n n lahnrintu
nights work upon committees, Of which they urc
members, and, completely worn out are unable to
watch the proceedings and act with that vim aud
promptness which they would exercise had they
entered free from over-tnXation and WEAKNESS.
The most and best they can do at such n time,
when measure isbeing acted upon to which they
are conscientiously opposed, is to vote negatively
or strive 10 postpone action until such time as
they will be able to discuss 1t with power and i'm.
press their views upon their fellow. members.
At EVERY SESSION OF CONGRESS
there are class Of men whose voice upon any
question is never heard. They answer roll. call
listen TO the speeches OF Others and vote as party
feeling, principle or conviction guides them.
These are they TO whom the master minds direct
their attention flor in all legislative assemblies
there must of necessity be few active aud lead.
ing spirts), and whom they aim TO convince.
Votes are required for the passage rejection ofa
resolution or a statute and double share OF duty
Is thus forced upon the Congressman who, hay-
Ing superior education, the knowledge to disscct
aproposed measure and weigh its ultimate effects,
and the gift OF expressing his views and conclu.
sions In logical and argumentative manner, has
70 bend every energy to bring his fellow. Congress.
men to an Endorsement Of his opinions; who
remain quietly in their seats not venturing
to speak forth their ideas upon the subject.
matter up for consideration. We do not intend
here to comment upon the too prevalent feeling
among Congressman that all legislation should be
guided and dictated by regard for partisan in
buence and power. We will not refer to the multi
iude of propositions introduced by small men for
the mere sake of sensation and buncombe
Neither will we speak of the evident want of
ability upon the part of some who have been too
highly honored by being given seat in Congress.
What we desire TO say is simply-frst that
THE POSITION OF CONGRESSMAN
Is one which should be held in high esteem and
which should be delegated only to men of sterling
common sense, of reasoning powers, of ability, of
education, of business experience, and knowl-
edge of the world men able to express their views
and their reasons for entertaining them and
whose opinions at all times command respect I;
and second that 1t is no sneCure, such as the mass
Of the people enormously imagne that Il Is post
entailing upon the occupant arduous and inccs.
sant labor from which Ufhe does his duty he can.
not shirk. 1t Is an easy matter to complain of the
neglect OF Senator or u Representative, but not
'one-tenth part of his constituency ever thinks of
the population he represents or the number of ap.
plications made to him daily Is there pension
10 be applied for claim to be presented against
he Government, an Office for which an appoint
ment is desired, the services of the
Congressman are at once asked for,
and every petitioner, every applicant
deems that he should be first waited upon and at.
tended to, never for a moment thinking that there
are some 10000 or 100000 others composing the
Congressman's constituency, and who also claim
an interest in his services, Apart from the neces-
hty Of visiting the various departments of the
Government, and of attending to an enormous
correspondence, not only from his own district,
butevery section ofthe country, u Congressman is
frequently member Of atleast three committees,
whose lRbors are performed after the hours Of the
session. so that he is really not the particular
property of his own immediate district but that
OF The whole people. He is called out OF the Sem
ate or the House, us the case may be- from
TWENTY TO FIFTY TINES DAY
by citizens from nearly every State and Territory
In the Union. Ofthe eight departments of Gov.
ernment he Is expected TO visit all Of these every
day. Then again, the ambitious fathers of his dis
Gict desire their to be placed in the army or
In the navy, or to be sent 10 West Point or to An
napolis. This, the Congressman must labor to &C.
eomplish or opposition to his election is the re-
suit. 1t is expected, Of course. that he can give
every one of the voters of his district foreign ap
pointment; but more than this, 1t is looked upon
as part Of his duty to furnish every lawyer Of his
district with copy of the Revised Statutes Ohe
Government furnishing himselfwith but one copy)
and in addition to all, he must not forget that il Is
his place to subscribe for at least fifty comics of
every publication issued in his district. He must
attend all the receptions, sorecs balls &C.;
purchase new suit at least three times q month
suitable to the different occasions subscribe iber.
ally 10 all charities and send copy of the Con-
gressional Directory
TO EACH VOTER OF HIS DISTRICT,
no matter that the Government furnishes him
with but FIVE copies Of the Congressional Record,
while his District has population Of over 10000
people Should he he fortunate enough to pos
Gess an abundance Of this worlds goods he is ex-
pected to take house and have his family reside
with him at the National Capital Here he must
do the honors, and upon all occasions strive to
outdoin elegance and display his fellow. Congress.
man. True, not one in ten can presume TO set forth
or pRrtOke Of such luXuries, but has in reality
in Washington, no home Of his own, and his place
Of lodging is at MI times subject to calls from the
leading men OF his district, together with out.
riders who are on the hunt for office. His calls
hold good until midnight, and when he retlres 1t
ls with feyered brain to snatch a few hours rest
only to wake and so over again the same routine
day aiter day.
As SAID BY SENATOR DAWES
in q recent speech, the pressure upon Senators
and Representatives for assistance I'm securing
public Office" imposes n work that is never
finished and involves them in Il warfare for place
from which there is no discharge-their time Is
consumed and their vitality is exhausted in the
service Of place-huntors, and they are compelled
80 cry for dellVeTance, In similar strain spoke
Senator Morgan when he made the remark, "t the
truth is, that upon the pay Of a Senator Of the
United States, when we look at the expenditures