Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-03-07
TIE BOYS OF CONGRESS.
The PAGES AT THE lCAPITOL AND
WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO.


The pages of the senate and house are
sort of understudy to the statesmen.
Each has some senator or member whom
he admires and initiates, and it is not be-
yond the range of his ambition that he
may some day occupy seat in congress
himself. They have a sort of fellow
feeling for Senator German and other
statesmen who have risen from a seat on
the steps by the vice presidents desk to
chair in the legislative body. All the
pages are statesmen in their way, and
are up in politics. Their fate is depend
ent upon the welfare of their members,
and they rise and fall with their party.
In Republican senate the boys are all
Republicans, and in the house they come
and go as the majorities shift.
The senate pages have a more secure
tenure and hold themselves to be of
little more Importance than the boys
who wait on the representatives. But
the latter profess contempt for class of
young individuals who don't take the
chances of politics at every election, and
pride themselves upon their own close
alliance to their party's vicissitudes.
They look upon the knee breeched at
taches of the senate as old fogies without
knowledge of wire pulling. They are
themselves au fait on all matters politi-
cal
They are the "legs" of the congressman,
but they have heads of their own that
are crowded with schemes to their full
capacity. They are not usually well up
in book learning, but are well up on
affairs of state. They enter public life
at the mature age of 10 or II years, upon
salary of $3.50 day and such per-
quisites as fall into their hands, and, if
their political fortunes are good, remain
in service until they are no longer boys
Then they go out into the world to be-
come politicians. drummers, railroad
presidents or congressman, or else take
downward turn. They usually enter the
field of politics, as they are familiar with
all its branches They are fully equipped
for the position of senator or representa-
tive, but deficient in almost all other use
full knowledge.
The average page of IA or 10 years old
counts in his wardrobe a beaver hat, a
pair of knee breeches, cigar case, a
Lord Chumley overcoat and a horn
handled cane. Many of these have a
brilliant career during their tender years
and have gone through all excesses of
mature manhood before they are old
enough to vote at any well regulated
election
On the house side there are thirty
pages, fifteen who sit on the right of the
speaker to wait on the Democrats and
fifteen ON the other side to respond to the
call of the Republicans They are under
the command of two chief pages, who
nave been promoted from the ranks. and
one armed captain, who is chief in
command.
The chief page of the senate side is
almost as old as the senate itself and is
custodian Of the snuff box and all the
antiquities and "reminiscences of that
body; while the pages who are under
command of Capt Bassett are usually
very small boys.
When a senator claps his hands half
dozen small boys rush out from different
directions. coming to collision in the
center aisle. and the one who sustains
the shock and picks himself up quickest
nolds the secret conference with the SEN
ator and then with pompous air starts
off on a private mission-to the document
room for a bill or to the library for a
book
1t takes almost as much political in
fiuence to he Il senate page in congress
as to get a foreign mission. The usual
age is from 10 to l5 and very few remain
after they are l8
Some of them, after outgrowing their
positions, have done well in the world,
but many have acquired dissipated hab-
its which have ended their career disas-
trously at an early age. Familiar con-
spicuous examples Of success are those
of Senator German, x-Representative
Scott, of Erie, and the late Representa-
tive Townshend, of Illinois, who became
eminent in public life. Others have been
quite as successful in business or profes-
sional life, though not as well known.
Pages usually make considerable money
and make it easily, and they spend it
with freedom Besides their salaries
they turn a good many honest dollars.
They complain in these days that they
have not the opportunities they used to
have for making extra money. Rich
and liberal members often pay them
large sums for small services. In the
house each page has to file the records
for ten members.
This is part of the duty for which they
are paid by the government, but each
member, at the end of the session, usual
ly gives the page who tends to his file
from s. to $40. If member sends IA
page off to buy a theatre ticket or make
some small purchase he often gives him
S. or $40 bill and lets him keep the
change of the transaction. Some of the
rich representatives and senators are in
the habit of making presents of money
to the pages at Christmas time and at
the end of the session.
THE AUTOGRAPH BUSINESS.
The autograph business used to be very
profitable. Every morning the pages
would go around from member to men,
Der as they reached the hall and solicit
their signatures in big autograph books.