The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-18
A CONGRESSMAN'S WOES.
HIS LIFE AT THE NATIONAL CAPT.
tai NOT a BED OF ROSES.

mittees, and Almost Made Crazy for
the First Year-Badgered by Visitors,
Oface-Seskers, and Women-Adyice
to the New Men.
| Amos J. Cummings II, the Nelo York Sun.
/ WASHINGTON. Dec. 1.-The fedgling
! congressman are here in force. There are
about 120 OF them. You meet them on the
street, ia tie hotel corridors, at the white
house, and in the intricate passages of the
capitol Some wear kid gloves and cloth
ing of fashionable cut. Others wear SLOUGH
hats and homespun garments. All are on
the alert. Some occupy expensive parlors
in palatial hotels. Others are hidden away
in comfortable quarters at much cheaper
rates. Some have their families with them,
and others are alone.
IL will take the new congressman some
! time to unravel the intricacies of Washing
ton life and to learn to find his way among
the labyrintbian passages of the capitol.
HIS COMMITTEES room will elude him when
IN search of it, and he will frequently take
the wrong direction when seeking the res
taurant or trying to leave the capitol. 1t
Will take him months to know every by
way and passage ia the Immense building
assistance of a guide. 1t will take him
longer than that, however, TO get the hang
of the rules of the House. More than one
term may be required to know how to do
business. If he attends strictly to his
duties, he will find that there will be very
little time left for play and social enjoy
meat. -
IL a republican, he will probably be
placed upon two committees. They will
meet twice a week at 10 o'clock in the
morning. The session will last about two
hours. At 12 o'clock the House will begin
its session. If the new msmber wishes to
retain the run of business before the House
he will find it necessary to b. present.
Later on he will be placed upon subcom-
mittees, and, later still, upon committees of
investigation. These will use up others of
his morning hours.
No new member can tell upon what COM
mittee he will land. An agricultural may
be thrown into the marine committee and
sea board member may be whirled into
the committee on agriculture. All trades
and professions appear to be scattered
around upon the various committees with
out much reference to special fitness An
embryonic statesman may land upon the
committee on acoustics and rural preacher
may turn up on the committee on the
Judiciary. Wherever they may land there
will be more than work enough for all if it
is properly performed.
Many other things will astonish the new
member The rules will certainly puzzle
him. He will find, if they are enforced,
that they will apparently give the greatest
privileges to the old members and none at
all to the new ones. He will be forced to
keep his mouth shut even when legislation
directly concerning his own district is under
consideration. Vainly will he plead for
recognition from the speaker, and he will
be lucky indeed if he finds the chairman of
the committee willing to grantshim even
minute of time TO talk concerning such
bill. He may introduce a bill and the bill
be reported back from the committee as
introduced. When the House, however,
| comes to consider it, he will be Obliged in
nine cases out of ten, to listen to the debate
and not participate in it.
AS illustrative Of this, story is told of
New Y ork member who served two years
in congress In his first term he had no
| opportunity to open his head. Along in
| the middle Of his second term a bill from
! the committee on war claims came before
the House. The New York member had
| commanded the troops responsible for the
destruction of the property alluded to in
the bill. He alone, of all the members on
the floor, was thoroughly conversaEt with
all the circumstances of the case The
| speeches made in the time allotted to the
I
| dispute. The general went to the chairman
of the committee and asked for half an
| hour to discuss the claim. He added that
| he understood the case thoroughly and no
one else seemed to have a far idea of it.
| The chairman turned upon him grimly and
| replied:
when we want you to talk we'll let you
! know
That ended it. The general got no oppor-
tunity to speak upon the only subject that
| came before the House upon which he was
| thoroughly informed.
| There are other troubles for the new
member. 1t will be long before he under
! stands the secret of suspension DAYS, dis
| trict days, morning hours, call of commit
| tees, open House, committees of the whole
and thousand and one peculiar features of
| House legislation. He will be lucky, indeed.
| If he understands what the House is doing
| without reference to its mode of procedure.
| Upon Friday nights he will be indicted into
the mysteries Of pension legislation. He
| will see others obtain pensions without the
call of a quorum, but will find call de-
| manded whenever he attempts to force a
pension through.
He will be badgered by visitors while the
| House is in session. A dozen times day
| he will lose track of what is going on. He
will receive hundreds of requests by letter.
Many can only be granted while the House
| Is IN session, and by absence from il. If a
| republican, he will be bounded night and
day by office-seekers. Hundreds will write
for rare and costly books printed by con
gress years ago These are not included
among his perquisiUes. But he will have
hard work to convince those who importune
him that this is the fact. There will be a
flood OF pension applications. 1t will take
him weeks and months to ascertain the
necessary routine to secure attention for
| them.
Those who will annoy the new congress-
man most will probably be women If he
endeavors TO fulfill their wishes he will be
completely overwhelmed. Flocks of strang-
ers will descend upon him. Each will have
her grievance They viii collect in little
apartment near side entrance, and BON
bard him with cards A dozen times day
will he be called out by the doorkeepers.
His best course will be to attend strictly to
his own constituents, and let other men,
bers attend TO theirs.
The new congressman will find himself
upon bed of Goals, and not bed of roses
Many of his constituents will require bis
services in the departments when his duties
require them in the House or commit, &c
room. If he is ever to become an adept in
the passing of bill he must pay strict at
tention to what is going on. Vainly will be
strive to dovetail office-seeking with states
manlike measures.
No man can be ubiquitous To perform
his duties satisfactorily to himself and Il