Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-07-12
A HOLIDAY IN THEHOUSE
THE SPEECHES THAT MAKE VOTES
FOR THE TALkeR.
The Congressman of Today IL . specia1-
lat and the "Aii Round" Statesman IL
Dying Out-rhc Congressional Record
and Ita -Four Hundred Writers.
[srcclal Corrrsnondcncrl /


WASHINGTON, July io.--It Is hot,
dull day in the capital Of the United
States, and SEQ no reason why should
20 hustling abont for something inter-
esting 10 write of when panorama Of
human nature is apread out before me.
sit in the press gallery Of the house,
fifteen feet above great floor which is
full Of desks, chairs and men. There
are seven rows OF desks, each describing
half circle. In all there are 335 seats,
but not more than one-third of them are
occupied. A inan Is making q speech
on the proposed federal election law.
He Is a partisan of the most bitter type
and Is making savage party speech.
He denounces the people Of the Sec
ton OF country In which he does not
chance to live, as II those people were
not his coun,rymen. He is very much
excited himself, but try as hard as he
may he is unable to produce any excite
ment in others.
OF tho hundred men In the hall not
more than couple Of dozen are listen
ing, and they only in an indifferent sort
OF way In the galleries more attention
is paid to the orator. Up there 1t is not
30 well understood ms II Is on the floor
that the honorable gentleman is speaking
to his constituents. He cares more for
the printed speech and for its effect upon
the voters Of his district than for the
impression 1t may make upon his audi
tors. A house page puts an acute esti-
mate upon the value Of this effort when
he says to one Of his fellows:
"Well make something out Of that
speech. Bet we can sell SOC, 900 Of them"
You see, the pages of the house are
merchants in speeches. They know tho
value Of an oration better than any one
else. A speech which is bitterly partisan
is good wares In their market. They
know II will be in demand by other con-
gressmen of the orators party as cam
paign document. Therefore the pages
go out among the members and take
orders. One member wants 5000, an
other 10000, and in the aggregate the
orders may run up to hundreds Of thou
sands The prices to be paid are the
prices set by the government printing
Office, but by taking the work to private
printing offices they get cheaper prices
and pocket the difference.
In this little matter Of the speech do
livered to great array Of empty
benches, and this business OF selling
speeches for mailing TO voters, we get q
glimpse OF the spirit by which most
congressional efforts are actuatcd. The
statesman is always posing for tho
approval of the voter in his state or dis
trict. He keeps his ''ear to the ground"
that he may catch the first sound Of q
change Of sentiment among his people.
II you want TO see with what facility,
what ease and rapidity great statesman
can shift his position upon any public
question set something at work among
his constituents that will change them.
sometimes think that the voters out
In the country, in the cities, towns and
rural districts-the very men who will
read this letter, il fact---do not realize
TO what extent they are tyrants. II is
common to talk Of the sovereign voter,
but nowhere Is tho sovereign voter such
real person, 30 material, actual and i'm
portant, rs here in the Capital City. Why,
about all the people of Importance in this
city spend their time, bother their brains
and wear ont their lives trying to please.
placate and win favor with the sovereigns
who live away off in tho country and
rarely or never make their appearance
here. think that is why Washington
is such pleasant city to live in. Tho
chase for dollars IL here less keen than In
the distinctively commercial cities, and
in its place we have the pursuit Of popu-
larity. This desire 10 please becomes u
hal,t u,,1 Ia hn1, oh
amiable, companionable people.
| II is not always the greatest statesman
that remains longest in favor among his
! people. The trade Of catering to the
| popular will, the art of making friend
ships and avoiding enmities, some good
! and able men are unable to master.
Some Of the most able men In public life
! lament their inability to give careful
laborious study to the questions Of the
day, simply because they must spend
their time winning popularity or else be
crowded ont Of Office by ambitious men
who have no public business TO attend to.
A senator, one Of the best known OF
the members Of his branch of congress
comes to my mind. He might be great
statesman il he were not determined ia
be a great politician. His state Is full
Of ambitious men, crowding him closely
for front rank, and he knows that il HI
stops for moment In his efforts Il
swim on the surface he will quickly
meet fate resembling that Of the late
lamcnted Mr.. McGinty. This senator
apparently thinks of nothing else than
means of popularizing himself. Every
! ha nft hs
writes, every act of his life ia in so far
as possible well considered with view
to its effect upon his popularity. Thus
il happens that this gentleman, wei
fitted by temperament and training fol
n career as an all round statesman famil
lar with and active and influential IN
the settlement Of all great questions
has become mere specialist in legisla
ton.
In fact the old race of statesmen il
running out. Soon il will disappear
forever. The modern statesman il be
coming more and more specialist. On,
devotes himself exclusively TO the tariff
another to interstate commerce, third
to international reciprocity, fourth tc
land laws and so on throughout th'
whole list Of enduring public questions
Great, comprehensive students of tht
machinery of government are becoming
fewer and orators more and more rare.
AS one sits up in the gallery of the
house of representatives day after day
1t Is easy to see the truth Of the state
ment that tho business OF the bod.
is in tho hands Of few men. The hand
full of men who exercise influence owe
the progress of legislation are men VIII
have made legislation their trade during
long series Of years They are men lik
Cannon. Mckinley. Springer, Blount