The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-22

ist and the "Au Round'' Statesman I.
Dying out-The Congressional Record
and It's Four Hundred Writers.
Especial CorrspooAence
WASHDGToN, July lot is a hot
dnu day In the capital Of the United
Stssae' and see no reason why I should
go hustling sAout for something inter
est1ngb 20 writeof when a panorama of
human nature Is spread out before ne.
st In the press gallery Of the house,
mteen feet above great floor which i.
fun or desks, chairs and men. There
are seven flows Of desks, each describing
a half circle. In al there are S25 seats.
but not more than one-third of them are
occupied A man is making a speech
on the proposed federal election law.
He Is partisan Of the aost bitter type
and Is making a savage party speech.
he denoOnces the people Of the sec
ton Of country IN which he does not
chance to live, as if those people were
not his count1ymea. He is very much
excited himself, but Try as hard as he
may he Ia unable TO produce any excite
ment in others.
OF the hundred men in the hall not
more than a 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 it is not
so well understood as it is on the floor
that the honorable gentleman is speaking
to his constituents. He cares more for
the printed speech and for it's effect upon
the voters Of his district than for the
impression 1t may make upon his audi
tors 4 house page puts an acute est
mate upon the value of this effort when
he says to one Of his fellows:
Wen 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 the
value Of an grafton better than any one
else a speech which is bitterly partisan
Is good wares In their market. They
know it viii be il demand by other con-
gressnen Of the orators party as d 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 de-
hvered to a great array of empty
benches, and this business of selling
speeches for mailing 10 voters, we get
glimpse of the spirit by which most
congressional efforts are actuated. The
statesman is always posing for the
approval Of the voter in his state or dis
trict. He keeps his lear to the ground
that he may catch tho first sound of a
change of sentiment among his people.
If you want to see with what facility,
what ease and rapiditya great statesman
can shift his position upon any public
question set sonle@a4i1g at work among
his consG tuents that viii change them.
sometimes think that the voters out
IN the country, IN the cities, towns and
rural districts-the very men who viii
read this letter, IN f2ct-do not realize
10 what extent they are tyrants. Il is
common to talk of the sovereign voter,
but nowhere IS the sovereign voter such
a real person, 50 material, actual and i'm
portant, as here in the CapIt3l City. Why,
about all the people of Importance in this
city spend their time, bother their brains
and wear out their lives trying to please,
placate and win favor with the sOvereigns
who live away of In the country and
rarely or never make their appearance
here. l think that Is why Washington
Is such pleasant city 20 live II. The
chase for dollars Is here less keen than in
the diStinciyely commercial cities, and
IN its place wa have the pursuit of popu-
larity. Q This desire to please becomes a
habit, and il Is a habit which makes an
amiable, oonpauionable people.
1t is not always the greatest statesman
nat remains longest IN favor among his
peApIe. Tho trade Of catering to the
pop1la< viii, the art of making friend
shlFAsnd avoiding enmities, some good
and lble men are unable to master.
Some 4 the most able men IN public life
lament their inability to give careful,
laborioUs study to the questions Of the
day, slInNy because they must spend
their time winning popularity or else be
crowded ont Of office by ambitious men
who have nOpubiic business TO attend TO.
A senator, que Of the best known Of
the menbers o. his branch Of congress,
comes 10 my mlad- he might be a great
statesman If he we're not determined 10
be a great politician. His state Is full
of ambitious msn, orowding him closely
for front rank, and be knows that If he
stops for a moment IN his efforts to
SWIM OF the surface he viii quickly
meet fate resembling hat Of the late
lamented Mr.. MoGinty- This senator
appsre1t1y thinks OF nothing else than
means OF populariEjng himself. Every
word which be utters, every word he
writes, every act o. his life Is IN so fsr
as possible well considered with a view
TO it's eject upon has popularity. Thus
IL happens that this gentleman. well
fitted By te-nparament and training for
q career as an all round statesman, faInil-
lar with aud active and influential IN
the settlement Of al great questions,
has become a mere specialist II legisla-
ton.
In fact the old race Of statesmen is
running out. Soon it VIII disappear
forever. The modern statesman Is be
coming more and more specialist One
devotes himself exclusively 70 the tariff,
another t.a interstate commerce. . third