River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-04-05
wHIRLIGIG OF POLITICS.
Defeated Congressman Seeking APP
pointments-An Illustration OF the
Ups and Downs.


Defeated Congressman Seeking APP
pointments-An Illustration OF the
Ups and Downs.
Washington Correspondence.
With March 9TH over half of the mem
bers of the present house of representa-
tives step out Of public life. How i'll
equipped the majority of these men are
to take up the threads of private BUSH
ness again, may be Judged from the
from the great demand for appointments
within the gift of the president. Mis-
sions and counsulships, land agencies
and territorial judgeships are among
the prizes to be secured, and there are
many members hands in the govern
ment grab-bag. There are very few of
the defeated congressman who are in
first-rate shape to go home and resume
former business. In the case of lawyers,
| this is especially true. Most of them
are middle-aged men who, six or eight
years ago, left fair practice to come to
/ congress. In the meantime fresh blood
has come into their towns, younger men
| have established themselves, and gath
cred up the practice, and it is not easy,
indeed it is almost impossible, to sup
| plant them.
1t would seem that men with grow
| ing law practice, men who depend .son
their. own resources for a livelihood.
would anticipate the result of sus-
pension of private business during years
spent in the public service. The part
ner is LETT at home to look after the con-
CHEESEMAN'S interests retains only the
clients who rely on him; the remainder
turn to other lawyers, and when the de-
feated member returns to his homo he
finds himself practically out OF work.
However, the poor lawyer who as
pires to be legislator shuts his eyes TO
the future and decides to enter politics.
From that moment expenses begin. He
must contribute to the campaign fund,
and contribute literally, or he will not
be carried through 1t may be that the
contest is so close that he is obliged to
mortgage his home to raise funds.
His freedom of speech is at once cur
tailed.
He is no longer q free man. He is
worried and harrassed on every side.
| But there is partial recompense. The
| fatal day arrives. Our candidate is sue
essful and becomes member-elect.
Can he now give himself up to intoxica-
ting dreams of his own eloquence in the
nails OF the Nations Capitol? Can his
leisure hours be filled with imaginIngs ot
his own species on the burning issues"
OF the day? Not at all. The election de-
bris is no sooner cleared away than the
wrangle for office begins. There are col
| lectorships and cerkships and postot-
| fees to be fought over, with the surety
| that vast majority Of the applicants
must be disappointed in the end-and
| thus converted from friends into work
| ing antagonists, and the struggle does
not stop when the unhappy member
| finally lescapes to Washington There
bitter disappointment awaits him. He
| is placed on an unimportant committee.
His speeches are not listened to with
Difference or attention.; he IS not SO
quickly recognized by the Speaker OF
the house as the older members; his IN
fuence in the departments il small; he
| is not in demand in society. Our con-
| gresham grows desperate. His pride Is
| touched and he resolves to conquer or
die" He studies finance. He examines
one branch of the subject in its mlnutest
detail and biding his time bursts into the
arena with an array OF acts and a conf
mand of language that surprised the
| House into listening. They at once dis
covered the true ring in his speech and
give him their undivided attention.
| They applaud him, congratulated him,
| shake his hand; he is the hero of the
| hour. His star is now in the ascendant.
| He no longer talks to empty benches.
| His constituents who have followed him
| to Washington for clerkship are gradual
| ly stowed away in the department pigeon
!! holes. His wife and daughters become
| more prominent as social figures, and his
| own presence is in good demand at dim
ner parties. Our Representative has
| now clear sailing. He goes home,
| secures his reelection and
returns, and begins work to Sc
/ cure good committee position for the
| next Congress. He succeeds aud is
| given a prominent place on prominent
| committee. In this way he becomes m
| innate with the "leaders" Of the House,
| is occasionally spoken of himself as
| leader, and from that becomes an object
l ofinterest to the galleries. His affairs
| are now at food tide and the ebb is so
| gradual that he does not realize II.
| There appears on the clear horizon o
| little disturbance over a postoifice in his
| district. A numerously signed petition
| to remove the present incumbent IS
| sent to HIM. This he refuses to do, as
| the Postmaster is one of his own APP
| pointments, and in many respects suit
| able person for the office. Then there
| is some dissatisfaction among the mer-
| chants about the management OF the
| Custom House, and a delegation visit
| Washington to URGE the collectors re-
| moval. This our Representative will not
| do, but promises not to recommend his
| reappointment and the delegatio n goes
home only halt satisfied.
| Time goes on and the next election
comes around and our Representative
| wakens on a dreary November morning
IL - \
and Collectorship have spread discomfort
| His rival is young man with clean
| hands and clear head, a vigorous, self
confident man sure to succeed. Our Rep
resentative has nothing more to expect
| from that district. He returns to Wash
| ington sore in spirit TO serve but his re-
maihinG three Il onths in congress. His
wife and daughters accompany him to
a last taste of the brilliant society to
which they have become so attached.
He tries to put on brave front and 60
on with lGs legislative work, but his
heart is not in it. His future constantly
obtrudes itself between him and bis du-
ties. His law practice, should he re-
sumo it after the 4th Of March, insures
him no immediate return ofready mon
ey, and, of course, he has saved nothing
from a salary of S. 600. That has
been exhausted by the demands Of
Washington society. The outlook is not
bright. He begins to consider what an
unjust thing it is for the government,
after taking the best years out of q mans
life, to set him adrift to shift for him
self. He reflects on the ingratitude Of
the people whom he has served SO faith
fully and determines never to make his
home among them again. lie is now
trying to decide whether it would be
better to 60 West as a judge or land
agent where the prospect of making
fortune in speculation is good, or try TO
get mission or consulship with high
er salary and more glory, be it ever SO
transient. In the meantime his in
fluence is steadily declining in the House.
His counsel is neither so often son chit
nor his advice so often taken. One Of
his appointees in the departments has
already been discharged to make room
for somebody else. His wife and daugh-
tiers are not invited as much as they
were last winter, and taking one consid-
Grafton with another the defeated Re-
personalities ''life is not happy one."
A Story of Diamond.