Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-03-02
A SAD CONGRESSMAN.
He Is Slowly Writing Himself to Death
for His Constituents

ut 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 hoGey and sleep on
down." said weary member rs 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.
eff 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 a despairing sort If
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, 1t
makes my head swim. When | first
came here used to 60 out little. |
went to the theater occasionally, or to
an entertainment, or to a reception, or
to see a friend. Now | 60 nowhere.
Each year | am more closely confined.
The walls are closing in around me.
and, like the man in the Iron Snroud.'
l am waiting for them to close and crush
me. I've stopped going out. leave
my committee-room at the capitol only
to go 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 nv
mails bigger each day. Presently I
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 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-daylig
will be shut out-and-theu-!
mo, 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
it 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 |
l must introduce a 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-
tion was represented by autograph let
ters. My promptness to answer any
and all letters was heralded 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
of kissing at pound parties.
One man wanted to know whether the
rope Guiteau was hung with was hemp
Or cotton. l referred this letter to the
department of justice. The attorney
general indorsed it to the warden of
he jail, who returned it to me with
minute official description of the rope
the material, length, and manner of
make. This contributed largely to in
,rease my correspondence. Everybody
who had something to write about |
hat no one else would notice was told
ny address, with the assurance that l