Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-17
RooKs, sEEps ANp vorEs.
How Young Congressman Ruin theii
Chances of Reelection


Chances of Reelection.
''That man won't come back TO Congress
again." said one of the employees of the
House folding-room to the Washington
Star man the other day, pointing to the
frank on one of a huge pile OF square
packages heaped up on the table and in
one corner of the room.
"Why SOL" asked the Star man.
Just because these things win prevent
IT,"
whats in 'emi Dynamite?'
'tBooks."
sBooksgr
'Yes, he's sending them all through his
district, and he'll never come back any
more, poor fellowl This is his first term,
and he has fallen into the delusion that
| the way to please his constituents is to
| send them books. They don't cost him
anything, and he thinks it a good way to
| buy the good will of his constituents. He
hasn't been here long enough to learn bet
/ ter"
Don't you know" he continued, as
I Stunning more confidential tone, "the
members, almost without exception. who
| have begun by sending books home to their
! districts, have been defeated. It's fact.
1t defeats them every time"
"How is that? What are the books
abOuty" the Star man asked.
'I1sn't what's IN them. The books are
all right, except that some of them are
sort of dry. They are the various reports,
Agricultural, Interior Department, Patent
Office reports and the like; scientific
works on surveys, geology, agriculture
and the various matters that have been
looked into under the direction Of Con-
gress and the executive departments,
besides the executive documents, the
Presidents messages and reports upon
| foreign relations, commerce and the like.
Oh, they are all good enough books, as far
as that goes. That isn't the thing"
Nv hat is it, then?"
why it's just this. When a man
knows how to do it those books can be
used TO an advantage; but it won't do for
him to distribute them loosely among his
constituents. It'll defeat him, sure pop.
The old member. who has experience,
will make good selection of books and
send them to three or four of the leading
politicians in his district. That's all right;
it does some good. But when the new
member undertakes to distribute them
among all his constituents he gets him.
self in trouble. He can't have enough to
60 round, and the consequence is that
nelghbOrs Smith and Thompson get ieal-
Gus because neighbOr Jones got some
books and they didn't, and when it comes
to the election they will let the member
know that their vote is as good as Neigh
Dor Jones'. See? That's the way lots of
young members get caught.
There's Maginnis; he won't send out
book. He has the longest list of any man
IN the House. / asked him one day:
Major, why don't you send some of your
books home? My predecessor got beat
that way was his reply, and the pile of
books is still growing.''
II
their books homer asked the scribe.
''Oh, yes; lots Of them do, but they put
them in the hands Of the politicians, and
not the mass of voters. Yes, yes; they
send of lots of books and seeds, and that
sort Of thing, but they wait until the end
OF the session and send out all at one time
10 those who know how to handle them.
Many, however, like Maginnis, pay no at
tentiOn TO them. Judge Kelley never does. /
nor does Charlie O'Neill, nor Bingham.
Harmer trades bis books off for seeds. I
Bayne distributes his judiciously. Brew
er, Of New Jersey, ships his home in a
lump and then distributes them as he sees
proper. Some OF the members do lots of |
trading with their books. Those from the
cities trade with those from the country, /
giving them the agricultural reports for /
the more valuable scientific works. Then /
some OF the country mem bers trade OF all (
their books for seed. Some OF the men, /
bers sell their books TO secondhand deal /
ers; while others buy as many as they can /
get. l know of one new member who |
spent several thousand dollars sending /
books and seeds TO his constituents. He /
got beaten. There are number Of men, Z
bers each session who spend large sums /
of money in this way. They can't get l
enough out Of the appointment to 20 4
round in their districts, so they buy them. /
Some Of the scientific works are very ex- /
pensive. POwell's reports cost the gov /
eminent about 81 apiece to publish.
''SOme of the members" he added, 4
''send out lots of seed, and it is SAID. but 4
| don't know how true it is. that the con- (
fding constituents often are deceived by /
their willy representatives, who, when /
they can't get enough seeds at govern /
ment expense, 90 of and buy a lot of 4
cheap grass seed and have it done up in .
small packages, and send it OF as some /
thing raret