The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-22
Amos j. Cummings Describes the
Painful Process of Breaking
in New Members.
CUTTING THEIR EYE TEETH.
Some Hard Knocks From Old Stagers.
Good Stories at the Expense Of
the New Congressman-How to
Catch the Speakers Eye-Those
Who Can Command Attention.

TAHE new member has now arrived IL, az
S5I7 the zenith of his first term. HIS
r|afS eye-teeth are cut and he has falr
knowledge Of the shoals of legislation. lie
has learned how to inject a speech into the
Record, whether delivered in the House or
not. He knows how to handle himself in
committee of the whole. Ii he wants to
talk upon anything outside of the amend
ment under consideration, he moves to
strike out the last word and Will fire away
with all the grace and dignity of an old
timer The motion gives him five minutes
for debate, aud he can talk about what he
pleases. Then he can add to his remark KS
in the Record until his speech looks to his
constituents as if it had occupied the atten-
ton of the House for an hour or more. Inc
effect is heightened by the words "Ap-
plause," if judiciously distributed through
the speech.
He has also learned who Joe Cannon Is,
and what to expect from Watchdog Hol-
man. Buck Kilgore, Silver-haired Breckln-
ridge and other economists watching little
appropriations in which possibly he may be
interested. He can summon a page with
exquisite nonchalance, and run bill at the
bar with equal facility. He can smoke
Perfectos and Stienkadories without re-
gard to the noses of bystanders. He can
chase a bill into committee and out of COM
mittee and see that it is planted on the
calendar all right. But he has not yet
learned how to twist it before the House.
This is feature Of legislation only acquired
by long practice. The boys never teach 1t
TO newcomers.
He has been initiated into the mysteries
of log-rolling. III natural diplomatic, this
knowledge will prove OF great advantage TO
him. He has learned another trick prac-
ticed by old members. Their dev0ut attl-
tudeS during prayer are no Indication that
their minds are concentrated upon the
blind Chaplain's appeal. Their thoughts
may be turned upon their chances for Sc
curing unanimous consent for the consider
alton of private or public bills. II he IS
bright, he knows how to catch the Speak
er's eye. The Speaker is far-siGhted
official. His eye is usually caught in his
private room few minutes before the
House is called to order.
The new member usually has lot of pen
sion-seekers in his wake. If they fail to
make an impression upon the Commissioner
of Pensions they look to him to get what
they want from the House. He is quite
sure to get acquainted with some member
of the Committee on Invalid Pensions.
Such an acquaintance may prove OF sell
vice to him. In addition to this he may
have dozen or more creditors of the
This forces him to seek familiar acquaint-
ance with the members of the Committee on
Claims.
He knows when il is safe to leave the
House and 90 to a baseball match or
attend h0rse-race. He may not spend
half his time on the floor, but he can turn
up at a critical moment and mix in debate
SO as to give his constituents the impress
sion that he is fully alive to their interests.
If he happens to be one of the few who
are always at their posts, he knows when
to listen and when TO saunter around The
Chamber. II pays to listen to some speak
erS, and 1t is a loss OF time to listen to
others.
There are dozen members who can COM
mand the attention of the House at any time.
This is because what they say is entertain
ing and instructive to all who hear them.
There are others who might as well talk TO
the wind for all the attention they attract.
Their tongues Wag to no purpose, because
their words convey no thoughts. An Incl
dent occurred the other day which fifty il
Illustrated this. A well-known babbler had
the floor He was shaking about two hun
bred words minute out of his corpOrosity
when he stopped to sip from glass of water.
That's useless" observed Hon. James j.
Belden Of Syracuse; you never can run a
windmill with water"
If new member is hard worker he has
learned how to utilize the Congressional
library. DR. SpO1ford, the librarian, Will
serve him like genie. If he requires
political statistics, Colonel Mcpherson, the
Clerk OF the House, is ever at his call. If
he is lawyer and wants to load up on law
points, he has learned his way to the law
library and formed the acquaintance of its
Sp0fford. Books of reference are found in
almost every nook in the Capitol. Only
those who have served seven or eight terms
know the way to all these hooks. One Of them
is back OF the main gallery on the upper floor
Of the House wing Of the Capitol. Its GUS
todian is w. II. Smith, a c0lOred gentleman,
who has been of great service to Samuel j.
Randall, James II. Blount, Joseph g. Can
non, William S. HOLMAN and other men,
bers who want old documents on the in
slant. Smith has been ut his post nearly a
quarter of century.