The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-19
THE MAILS OF CONGRESSMAN.
Letters Received BY Senators ant
Representatives at Washington.

THE MAILS OF CONGREsSMEN.
Letters Received BY Senators and
Representatives at Washington.
It requires the services of eleven per-
sons to handle the mail of the different
Representatives and Senators at the capi
tol, writes Washington correspondent.
There are four deliveries day of what
is known as congressional-one, the
morning delivery, before breakfast, two
ht the capitol during the hours the wise
bolons are in session, and another in the
evening. The first and last deliveries
are at the private residence of the mem
bers. Twelve wagon loads of letters
and papers comprise the average of the
House mail for each day. That of the
Senate, of course, is much smaller. In
addition to the regular clerks, drivers
and messengers each chamber employs
limited number of boys who are known
as riding pages: They are furnished
ponies and are used to deliver letters
and documents at the diff
ferent departments and elsewhere
throughout the city. Each receives
salary of 5000 per annum. There are
three of these youngsters on the House
L
| With scarcely 6ne-fifth as MANY fhem
bers, they find it impossible to get along
| with less than four riding pages. This
may be said to be characteristic of the
Senate In every particular. That body
| has twice the number of employees rela
lively that the House has, and the pay Is
Invariably better.
Speaker Carlisle gets the heaviest mail
of any man in public life. Next to him,
among the Representatives comes Randall,
| with Belford, of Colorado, third, Bel
mont, of New York, fourth, and Judge
Kelley, of Pennsylvania, fifth. Randalrs
and Kclley's mails, like that of Colonel
Morrison, are mostly communications
from business men and others asking for
information on matters Of tariff, finances
and kindred subjects. -.
Mr.. Belford's heavy mail is explained
by reason of his being the only represen-
tative of a young and rapidly growing
commonwealth Colorado has probably
more veterans of the late war within her
borders than any State of her size in the
Union. As most of these people are in
terested in pensions, either to the extent
of asking information as to the best means
of procuring one or inquiring as to de-
lays in their settlement, it will be seen
| that his correspondence must be neces-
sarily large.
General Logan receives the heaviest
mail of any member of the Senate. After
| his nomination last summer it increased
so rapidly that the services of his secre-
tary and Mrs. Logan were entirely made
ouate to the task of keeping up the
| arrears. On such occasions it was no
uncommon practice for the visitors to
General Logan's rooms, many of whom
were employees Of the government, to
assist him with his work. Old tables,
chairs, and eyen hat boxes would be
utilized as desks, and often half dozen
supernumeries would be found labor"
ing until midnight. 1t is General Logan's
invariable rule to answer every letter sent
to him. His mail comes principally
from soldiers, and is not confined, by
any means, to his constituents in Illinois,
Not infrequcntly veterans write to hin
from the Middle and New England
States. The bulk of letters from sol
diers of the late war residing in the ex-
treme Southern States is addressed to
General Logan Mrs. Logan overlooks
the Generals mail Long familiarity as
| HIS dIuduueuSlS cudUlCS lACA ~ tOIA uliCCt1S
which letters she can attend to herself
without troubling her husband to read.
She is better known to the clerks in the
pension Office than the general, and OF
late years she has attended to nearly all
of his correspondence Many of these
letters are insufficiently stamped. The
deficit is paid by the Senator. This item
of expense alone is said to amount to $25
| per annum.
Plumb, of Kansas, follows Logan as
the recipient of the next largest mail.
with Allison, of Iowa, and VOORHEES,, OF
Indiana, not far behind:
Popular men in Congress are deluged
with letters in the same degree as they,
in private life, receive more attention
than those who are more exclusive.
VOORHEES, is easily approached, and is a
hail fellow well-met among the home
spun farmers of the Hoosier State. Next
to Voorhees,, Jones, of Florida, receives
the largest mail on the Democratic side.
Like Belford, he is proud Of it. Jones
was born in Ireland, and worked his
way to his present prominence from a
I! shoemaker's bench. His correspondence
comes from every section of the country,
in which respect it is similar to General
Logan's. though not SO diffuse.
The Democrats are already paying the
penalty of having achieved a national
victory Since the election the mail OF
members of Congress of that party has
doubled in some cases trebled