The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-04-07

rhe Kind of People WAC Fill Clerical Posi-
tions at Washington.

servants who have life leases upon their
positions, and perhaps half a dozen
framed experts in special branches,
every one of the clerks, door keepers.
messengers, etc, Is the retainer of some
Senator or member. Deriving his APP
pointment nominally from the ofiic: al
at the head of his department, if is real
ly the result of a trade between such
Official and the member whose protege
the appointee is. The member has
voted for the official in the caucus in
consideration of being permitted to die.
tate certain appointments. and in thi:
manner he pays off some of the oblga.
tons incurred during his canvass.
Every State in the Union thus has its
representatives in the Congressional
retinue, most of them being bright,
keen-witted, active young politicians
who are exceedingly useful personages
at ward meetings, conventions and
elections at their own homes. Strict
devotion to the interests of their Con.
gressIOnal patrons is exacted of them.
and woe TO the clerk or messenger who
fails TO render the full measure of lOval
service which is demanded. During the
Congressional vacations they return
ito their homes, and 90 up and down
their district sounding the praises
of the sitting member. telling what a
great man he is at Washington.
and showing how the interests of the
country will suffer if he is not re-elect-
ed. Altogether, the Congressional en-
ployeS are very nimble lot of politi-
clans, and quite a number of full
fledged statesmen have been graduated
from their ranks. Senator German, of
Maryland, began life as a page in the
body of which he Is now a member;
and there are, perhaps, a score of sit
ting Congressman who served the
House in their younger days as clerks,
messengers or pages. But the great
majority of these Congressional attaches
never come to much. Their environ
ment at Washington is not conducive
to industry, independence. or ambi- |
ton. The duties which they perform
are, for the most part, purely mechan- |
ical, and a few years of routine work
at the capital reduces them TO the |
level of mere machines. With I'M
bounded opportunities TO familiarize /.
themselves with the practical opera !
tons of the Government, and to master
the details of Legislative work. few inn
prove them. Many of them come to
the capital fresh from the country,
with little or no knowledge of the /
world, and speedily fall victims to the |
manifold temptations of Washington |
life. Those who escape these perils !
and continue to retain their places for !
q series of years are prone 10 tOadyism
and sycophancy. Depending upon
favor for their appointment and reten
ton in office. they make haste 10 pay |
homage TO the yising sun, and have
very lite time or attention to waste !
upon him whose race is run.
/ heard a member the Other'day Bit .
terly reproducing some of the lackeys |
about the hall of the House for their
neglect of him. They all know L
haven't been reelected" he explained
to me, land it is all that l can do TO
get any service out of them. The MEM
Der who sits next to me has been re-
turned, and if ne makes the slightest
signal half Q dozen pages will fly
toward him with the utmost alacrity.
frequently beat my hands together
until they are almost blistered without
attracting their attention. and when /
do succeed they move toward me as
leisurely as YOU please, and ex-
ecute my orders with display of con-
descension that would be amusing if
it were not so annoying.
perhaps you have incurred their
displeasure in some way" L suggested,
land their neglect of you is not due to
your defeat
'tNo, indeed" was the reply. BE
fore | went home. last spring, all the
clerks, messengers and pages Were most
assiduous in their attentions. But when
came back in December, after getting
left at the election, l found that they
regarded me a person of very little
Importance, and since that time have
been inclined TO look upon me in the
light of an intruder. 1t is so with all
the members who have failed of re-
election. They are all making COM
plants, and l guess they have reason
to. | tell you that these fellows who
hang about the Capitol picking up the
crumbs that fall from the Congressional
table have keen eye for the main
chance, and no use whatever for a
statesman whose DAYS of official life are
numbered.
was relating this conversation few
moments later TO prominent member
who has served several terms, and who
appears to have a s-sure thing" on his
seat for all time to come. We'll" he
said. Il suppose the members who are
not coming back have some reason TO
complain of many of the House en-
ployes. Never having been defeated
myself, / have had no experience of
the kind You mention. but | have heard
murmurs from defeated colleagues after
every Congressional election since /
have been at Washin gton, and no doubt
there was some foundation for them.
Perhaps my turn to be snubbed by the