The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-03-05
A SAD CONGRESSMAN,
He is Slowly Writing Himself to Death
for His Constituents

He is Slowly Writing Himself to Death
for His Constituents.
1T isn't all the perfume of flowers
and the smiles of fair women to be a
member of congress. We don't feed on
locusts and wild honey and sleep on
down." said weary member as he
tilted back in his chair and brushed
aside the heap of letters piled upon his
desk. He had a haggard look in his
eye, and his right hand hung limp at
his side with pin between his fingers.
''lf anybody thinks it's clover, let him
try it! | started out with the idea that
it was my duty to answer every letter |
got. Well, | have involved myself in a
problem of geometrical progression,
and he pointed in despairing sort of
way at the desk before him, the ample
waste basket by his side and the floor
about him-all full of letters. They
are accumulating every day. Every
one l answer brings two more, and
answer them all. Just think of it! It
makes my head swim. When / first
came here | used to 60 out a little. l
went to the theater occasionally, or to
an entertainment, or to reception, or
to see a friend. Now | 90 nowhere.
Each year | am more closely confined.
The walls are closing in around me,
and, like the man in the Iron Shroud,'
| am waiting for them to close and crush
me. I've stopped going out. l leave
my committee-room at the capitol only
to 60 to my desk at home. | swallow
my dinner whole. as it were. | write
late at night-later each night. The
progression is working out, and MY
mails bigger each day. Presently l
shall have to sit up all night; then re-
duce my meals to five minutes; give up
smoking. Write. write, write! Oh
well-think! 'Tis a terrible doom:
slowly to write ones self to death
The pile of letters is up to my neck
Soon it'll be over my head-daylight
will be shut ut-and-then-!
No, sir; we don't live in clover"
And he drew in long breath and
settled himself down in his chair as if
resigned to his impending doom.
why, it started this way-it always
has start; any member will tell you
1t started this way: As soon as | got
to congress | got letter from one of
my constituents congratulating me
upon my election, and saying that he
knew now there would be some legis-
lation; the constitution should not be
violated; | must introduce bill in the
house to prohibit fishing in my dis
trict with three hooks to one line
twas unconstitutional / answered
that letter, bewailing the utter disre-
gard of congress for the national fish
cries, and explaining the utter useless
ness OF attempting class legislation.
| got four letters from that neighbor-
hood by returning mail, and they kept
on increasing until the entire popula-
ton was represented by autograph let
ters. My promptness to answer any
and all letters was heraldeG all over
the country, and | was asked to pass
all sorts of bills, from one to regulate
the length of prayers to one for the
suppression of kissing at pound parties.
One man wanted to know whether the
rope Guiteau was hung with was hemp
or cotton. | referred this letter to the
department OF justice. The attorney
general indorSed it to the warden of
the jail, who returned it to me with a
minute official description OF the rope
the material, length, and manner of
make. This contributed largely to in
crease my correspondence. Everybody
who had something to write about
that no one else would notice was told
my address, with the assurance that |
loved TO write letters. A large num-
Der OF my letters now are applicants
for places under the new administra-
zion. One man want d place that
would take him TO Canada. He did
not know what particular place. His
doctor tod him that it would benefit
his heath to live there. ana if | would
just lock around and find a place there
for him with a pretty good salary at
tachc;; he ould like it. Bat, by the
way lie had children just growing up.
| might take this into consideration,
and get him located where there were
good free schools.
Another fellow wrote that he would
leave it to me to pick out his place for
him, bat L mustn't get the salary be-
low S1,200. He thought I'd be bet
ter Judge of good places than he was.
''Some men may refer these letters
to the waste basket, but it don't do.
They must be answered. | must write;
good by. | mustn't waste more time
talking. I'll have to sit up late to
make up for it. | must write. The
walls are closing around me-
'Well, my good fellow, what can |
do for you?" and he turned to a sup
plant in soldier clothes, who stood at
his elbow with persistence in his face
and glazed cap in his hand.
I'm an American by adoption. In
SO | married an American woman with
a mule-her grandfather left it to"
But at this point the petitioner was
thrust aside by a Mexican pensioner,
who wore three medals and had been
a personal friend of Win Scott's, and
wanted his pension increased. - Wash
tnqt0h star.