The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1890-02-27
THE BOYS ON CONGEESS,
THE PAGES At THE CAPITOL ANp
WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO,

I
q sort Of undelFudy % tho Statesmen.
Each has some senator or member whom
he admires and Initiates, and 10 10 not be-
yond the range of his ambition chat he
may some day occupy q seat In congress
himself They have a sort Of fellow
feeling for henaJor German aud other
statesmen who have risen from q scat on
tho steps by tho vice presIdents desk TO
q chair In tho legislative body, All tho
pages are statesmen Ia their way, and
arc up In politics Their iata h depend
ent upon the welfare Of lheir members,
and they rlhe and fall with their party
In Republican 6euate tho boys are all
Republicans, and In the house they come
/ and 90 aa tho mniortlea shift
The senate pages have O more secure
tenure and hold themselves 10 be oi a
little more importance than che boys
who wait on tNu representatives, But
the latter proie6i contempt Tor a class Ol
young individuals who dOn't take the
chances Of politics NJ every election and
pride themaelyc upon their own close
alliance 10 thcr parlyH yieIHItudes
They look upon tho knee brcechrd at
taohea Of the senate as old fugles without
knowledge Of wire pulling They arc
Themselves au faIt on all matters poIlli-
cal
They arothe "lags" Of tho oongroasmen,
but they have heads Of their own that
arc crowded with Hchomes 10 their full
capacity They We not usually well up
In bool, learning but arc well up on
adalra Of state, They enter public lfe
at tho mature age of 10 II years, upon
salary Of $3.50 q day and such por-
qulaItea % fal into their hands, and, II
| their political fortunes are good, remain
In service until they are no longer boys.
Then they 60 out into tho world 10 be'
come polItleIana, drummcr6 railroad
presidents or congressman, or else take a
downward turn They usually enter tho
Geld Of polltIca, as they are familiar with
all lta branchea They are fully equipped
for tho position Of senator or representa-
tive, but deficient In almost all other use
ful knowledge
The average page OF II or 10 years old
counts In his wardrobe q beaver hat, q
pair Of knee brceohca, cigar case, a
Lord Chumoy oyorooat and horn
handled eane Many Of these have a
brilliant career during their londcry years
and have gone through all ogceasca Of
mature manhood before thoy arc old
enough 10 yoto AZ any well regulated
election
| On tho house sIdo there are thirty
pagea, fifteen who Mo on the right Of the
speaker 20 walt on the Democrats and
fifteen on the others eIdoto rclpond 10 tho
call OF the Republicans They are under
tho command Of two chief pagcl, who
have been promoted from the ranks, and
a ono armed captain, who 10 chief IN
command,
Tho chief page Of tho senate Gido IA
almost 90 old 10 the senate imolf aud 10
custodian Of tho rnulI box and all tho
antiquities and "reminiscences Of that
bodyi while tho pages who arc undcr
command Of Capt Baasctt are usually
very small boys,
When a senator claps his hands half a
dozen small boys rush out from different
directions coming 10 collision Ia the
centor usc, and the one who ou0tana
the shock and pleGa himself up quickest
holds the secret conference with the oscu'
atof and then with pompoua air starts
oil on q private miasion-to TO tho document
room for bill or 10 tho library for u
book,
1t takes almost os much political In
0ucnco 10 bo n senate page In congress
10 10 gct q foreign mission, Tho usual
ago Ia from 10 TO 10, aud worry few remain
after they are lS,
Some Of them, after outgrowing their
positions, have done well In the world,
but many hayo acquired dl8sipated hab-
Ia which have ended their career disaS.
trou5ly at Nn carly age, Familiar con'
, opcuoua examples Of success arc those
Of Senator German, cX.Rcprosentatiyo
Scott, Of Erie, and the late Represents
two Townshond, Of Illinois, who became
eminent In public life Othorshavo been
quite as successful In business or profes.
oional lifo though not as well known
Pages usually mako considerable money
and make II easily, and they spend II
with freedom, Besides their salaries
they turn q good many honest dollars.
They complain In these days that they
have not tho opportunities they used 10
have for making extra money, Rich
and liberal members ofton pay them
largo sums for small gcrycc1 In the
house each pngc hus to iilo the records
for ten members,
This 10 part Of the duty for which they
arc paid by tho government, but each
member, at the end Of the session, usual
ly gives the pagc who tends 10 his flo
from 50 TO $40. II member sends n
page oil to buy theatre ticket or mako
some small purchase ho often gives him
50 or $40 bill and let's him keep the
change Of the transaction, Some Of the
rich representatives and senators arc In
tho habit Of making presents Of money
10 tho pages at Christmas timo and NJ
tho end Of tho session,
THE AUTOGRAPH BUSINESS,
The autograph business used 10 be very
profitable, Every morning the pages
would go around from member to mem-
bor as they reached the hall and solicit
their signatures In big autograph booke.
A book containing all the names was
worth from SO TO $40 10 the page who
had il. They found ready salo for
these books as fast as they could MI
them, and II did not take long 10 get all
tho signatures Ono Of the regular duties
Of u member was TO sign his name about
thirty times each morning. An auto
graph book Is seldom seen in either tho
house or senate now Tho fact 10 that