Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-10-10
CAPITAL NOTES.

Each United States Senator is allowed a
private secretary with compensation at ST.
900 per annum. Representatives need such
aid, but there has never been an appropria-
ton made for their benefit At the COM
mencement of every new Congress-, an eff
forts made to pass q resolution authorizing
the employment of stenographic assistants
for the Congressman, but some watch dog
Of the Treasury always rises and objects.
Immediately after the organization of the
Fiftieth Congress, Congressman Perkins,
of Kansas, introduced q resolution providing
for the employment of private secretary
for each Representative who is not a chair
man OF committees; because the chalrmen
always have the services of their committee
clerks to attend to their correspondence
for them. Mr.. Perkins resolution provided
that these secretaries 'sbe paid out of the
contingent fund of the House." There
upon Mr.. Biggs, of California, arose and
moved to amend by striking out the words
tout of the contingent fund of the House"
and inserting, in lieu thereof, the words,
''out of the members own pocket It
is false economy to deprive Congress
men of private secretaries, as their
correspondence is continually increasing
and they need assistance. The people are
willing to grant them all the aid necessary
for their public duties.
Mr.. Loutitt, Of California, was q popular
member Of the FortyLninth Congress. He
says that he sswas born in a stable, raised
in a blacksmith shop and educated in the
common schools" He is man of powerful
physique. When he was nominated for
Congress the word went abroad that he was
a learned blacksmith, q laboring man who
had educated himself and become q lawyer
There was a blacksmith in one of the towns
in the district who disbelieved the story,
and declared that if he believed Loutitt
were really blacksmith originally he
would vote for him, although he had been
voting the Democratic ticket for nearly
thirty years. When Loutitt reached that
town on his stamping tour he went to the
blacksmith shop. took OF his coat, went to
the forge and made q shoe. Then he did
some heavy work and swung the black
smiths heavy hammer in a truly wonderful
style. When he had concluded the black
smith said: 'sYou needn't make any speech
in this town. That's enough. It gets my
vote, and will get the votes Of all our labor
ing men, too" And it did. Loutitt did
make short speech, but the blacksmith
had occurred. Loutitt got every vote in
that town.
Congressman Wade, of Missouri, is the
man who invented the dummy key" He is a
hail fellow, well met, and has lots of friends.
They used to take possession OF his room,
and prevented him from doing any work.
He couldn't complain. He scratched his
bald head for awhile one morning, then
went out and had an extra key made. This
extra was dummy and was always left in
his box at the hotel, while he carried the
key Of his room in his pocket Visitors
would 90 to the counter of the hotel, look
into his box, see the key there and conclude
that Wade was not in; for if he were in
the key would be upstairs in the door of
his room. 1t was q great scheme, and
worked admirably. Mr.. Wade is the man
who fooled the oflce-seekers last March.
He moved away from the hotel, took pri-
vate room in an uptown boarding house
and did not tell the hotel folks where he had
gone. The result was, the ofice-seekers
were unable to find their Congressman,
and Wade was relieved Of them. He Is .
wit, wag and philosopher.
If the Washington correspondents would
tell what they really know Of Che repre-
sentative men of this country, the people
would be startled The private lives of
some Of our most distinguished men are
exceedingly vulnerable. They are indebted
to the discreet silence of the newspaper
men of Washin otnn Civ s. d. F.