The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-03-10
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
REGULAR CORRESPONDENCE.

" -A'i1i-'oIo-N, 4IallNl o. lie zap
itol Is, by far, the most popular resort
IN Washington this week, and the eve
ming sessions Of Congress are the most
attractive to visitors, fer then the cal
leries are packed with strangers ac-
companied by their city friends. The
House draws the largest crowds.
Buncombe and parrot speeches are
the rule, which, with monkey gesticu-
latlon, make so good a show that the
spectators get the worth Of their
money, since the seats are free. They
enter heartily into the spirit of the
turbulence below, which has reached
It's climax this week, in a perfect
uproar of noisy, stormy, wholly unin-
telligible discussion At times, nearly
every member will be on his feet, and
two dozen of them addressing the
chair at the same time, amid cheers,
applause and laughter, which render
not only their own words, but the
utterances Of the chair inaudible. Of
course the chairman refuses to recog-
nize anyone until they can come to
order, but no recognition is asked for
or desired. But, in spite of all this
fun and fury, these last DAYS of the
forty-seventh congress will ever be
remembered by the soon departing
members with unmixed pleasure.
Home, rest and relaxation will doubt
less (for time at least) be boon for
all of them, for their souls are being
sorely tried now by train of griev-
ances following close upon their heels
and logging every step, in the shape
of thousands of constituents lust ar
rived in the city, aided by thousands
of others already here, and all want
ing a thousand little matters attended
to before congress adjourns. These
pilgrims are from every section of the
United States, from Maine to Texas,
from Florida to California; each has
his pet project. 1t may be the pass
age of little bill, or the obtainment
of a little office, but no matter how
small to the rest of the world, it is a
life and death scheme to him, and at
this high pressure stage of the session
he asks his congressman to run it
through at once. Every senator and
member il ransacking his brain for in
yention to elude this ubiquitous mob,
which in turn is manoeuvring how to
intercept him on his way from his
bedroom to his breakfast table, and at
each successive movement he makes
during the day, until he places his
distracted head upon his pillow at
night for a short, disturbed repose,
his stolen slumbers even being haunted
by visions of his vigilant pursuers.
When he starts for the capitol he is
tugged, pulled, button holed and
talked at until constrained to break
away by force and take horse-car or
carriage as his case may be. When
he arrives at the capitol he has to run
another gauntlet before he can reach
the cloak-room. Once upon the floor,
he finds half a dozen of the privileged
class, the ex-congresS,nen, waiting to
make other impossible requests. Ev-
cry few minutes he IS handed a card
from some influential person from his
own state, (perhaps MS next door
neigabor when at home), for whom he
has the highest regard, and who can
not, with polIteness and safety to his
political existence, be denied the "few
words" that invariably lengthen into
an interview Of fifteen or twenty min
utes. He tries to glance at the letters
on his desk, but his fellow members
surround him and ask his assistance to
further their projects, for each is IN
turn assailed in the same way. He is
forced to listen over and over again
to the same questions, requests and
inquiries as to the probable result of
the cherished scheme, until his once
active brain is added and his clear
understanding muddled. Truly, the
last days of the congressman are
hard.
Washington will undergo q great
change in its general crowd and aspect
between the fourth and fifth days Of
March. Many of the senators and
representatives will leave the city
with their families on Sunday, having
secured seats and berths on the trains
for that day. Political life in Wash
ington is said to exercise a most de-
moralizing influence upon the average
congressman by destroying relish for,
and adaptation to private life forever
afterward. More than half Of the
present congress will soon have a
chance to test the truth of this, and
mediate over the ephemeral character
of political influence. The city now
SO abounds in greatness, that you rub
against it at all public places, jostle
it on the street corners, confront it on
the avenue, see it everywhere; but
much of it is on the point of vanish
ing, to return to its original insigniti-
cancp and will leave no trace or foot