The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1886-10-12
GOING TO CONGRESS.

There is certain fascination to n
young or old man, in being talked OF, "
as the man who ought to 60 to con-
gress from his district, and the con-
gressional bee is buzzing in thousands
of bonnets all over the country. Men
there are, who think the world would
have no further ambitions for them, If
they could once 60 to congress, and
they will work and wait, and plan, and
humiliate themselves, and bargain and
sell and buy, until finally, after years
of the dirticst and most detestable work
they will get the nomination, when
they will work night and day, and lie,
cheat, steal, get drunk and debase
themselves, and be elected. Then they
think the trouble is over, and they will
have two years of peace, associating
with the great men of the nation. A
few days since n paper published long
list of members of congress who had
positively asserted that they would not
under any circumstances be reelected.
and that money could not hire them to
serve another term in congress. Many
who have not investigated the annoy
ances of congressman, wonder why
men who have been there should not
have the same desire to 60 again. 1t
looks as though congress would be n
splendid place for Il man to 60, who
wanted TO amount to something. 1t
seems rs if wealthy man who wanted
to retire from business could be elected
to congress and be perfectly happy
Well, the happy member of congress
is one that is dead There is no posi-
ton more trying to n man. He is the
body servant of any man in his district
who wants anything at Washington,
from a post Office to apackage ofpump-
kin seeds. The congressman necessar-
ly makes many promises of attention to
his constituents, and he goes TO Wash
ington hoping that the constituent has
forgotten about it, but the constituent
never forgets. If he does not want any
thing himself he hunts up someone who
does, so that he may bring it before the
congressman, and show his influence
with the great man. If told that the
matter is not worth taking the time of
the congressman, he will say, Gosh,
our congressman will do anything for
me. | don't want it to get out but con-
iidentially. if it hadn't been for me, he
would have been beaten. He told me
after election. says he. Jim, | lay the
success to you, and you can draw on
me at sight, for anythingr There may
be hundred such friends that the con-
gresham has made in his district, and
he knows that on the least appearance
of lukewarmness on his part, they will
go back on him, and talk IT over at the
corner grocery, how he has got too big
for his boots. Men get mad at their
congressman because he does not write
TO them, whether he has any business
with them or not. They remember
that he used to write TO them when he
wanted work done. Then if he writes
to them, by the aid of secretary, they
say he is getting above his business. If
he sends letter TO constituent, print
ed with type writer, they get mad and
say they want him to understand they
can read "writin'." and it isn't neces-
sary for him to print his letters to them.
If he sends a package of garden seeds
to one, and another hears of it, and
none came to him, he is mad, and says
they will teach the congressman les
son next time. His votes are watched
closely, and a congressman can make
life long enemies of his friends by votes
that are of no Importance at all. One
member tried for week 10 explain
how il was that he voted to adjourn at
two o'clock in the afternoon, when he
ought to work till supper time. The
fact that he worked until after mid
night on committee, had nothing to
do with the case, and the constituent
voted tor the opposing candidate, be-
cause he believed the old congressman
was shirk. Besides. he had sent a
neighbor sack of cabbage seed from
the agricultural department and the
indignant constituent had not received
any. A man, with a million dollars,
who never let business bother him any
more. and who has lovely home, sur
rounded by every comfort and friends
innumerqble. and who is perfectly
happy, allows himself to be elected TO
congress, and he takes his wife and goes
to Washington. and they take rooms at
. hotel. At home the wife is loved and
respected by all who know her. and her
house is the center of social affairs.
After living in Washington a month