Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-21
ACONGRESSMAN'SD DAY
Many Demands Made Upon the Peo-
pies Representative.
FROM MORN TILL NIGHT.
Inc experience of One Representative rs De-
tailed To Star Reporter-Littls Chance Per-
mitted Him to Attend to Public Business
Worried by Constituents.
TNHE AVERAGE DAY LABoRER DOES NOT

HNHE AVERAGE DAY LABORER DOES NOT
- do more work in twenty-four hours than does
the member OF Congress who performs his duties
conscientiously. The man who drops the pillow
handles to come to the House will get a new
idea Of what work is If he attempts to do all
that 10 required Of him. Those members who
are not run half to death are very fortunate in
having . peculiarly contented and intelligent
constituency, or else they do not undertake the
work that is demanded of them Theoretically,
IL Is the duty Of member Of Congress to make
study Of sta.esmsnship; to examine with
care and elaboration all those ques-
tons Of state which come before them.
They are Law makers and should be
familiar with the laws that are and the neces-
sity for laws to be made. They should study
the great economic questions which agitate
the country and should be masters Of all there
is Of economies. The science Of government
should be to them as the primer Of the educa-
tionaI system. They should not be disturbed
in their philosophical moods; they should have
times to devote to the study OF the most pro-
found works. They should filter all questions
through minds full Of profound learning, and
should pass upon nothing in haste and without
due consideration. That is theoretically!
PRACTICE VERSUS THEORY.
In actual experience the new Congressman
learns this after be has been in Washington for
while: that he 10 an attorney, . claim agent,
An Office broker, a bureau of general informa-
ton and an errand boy, with occasionally the
addition Of public entertainer and Capitol
guide. Even the Speaker Of the House, Mr..
Reed, ''the car" may be seen at times point
up the echoes In statuary hall for their enter
tainment-
The Congressman's day starts a. early AZ the
day Of any man, is as full Of activity and ends
IS late. Some there are who take their ease;
some attend to the duties Of state only, but
these are happy few, who occupy . position
of God-hke independence. There are many
who get up at o'clock in the morning and
TO the departments, from one to another until
shortly before the hour for the meeting Of the
House or of their committees. They then 60
through the rest Of the day with the ordinary
committee and House work, and are at CORE
spondence again at night. There are several
who keep two stenographers at work all the
while, and some use monographs which they
talk full of letters morning and night for q
copyist to take OF during the day.
ONE DAY WIFE A STATESMAN.
go through one day with me-" said . hard
worked member to a STAR reporter the other
day. in the morning, after an early break
fast, have from thirty to fifty letters to read,
DeclCeS glaDclDk udsIlly over HUME paper.
Many of the letters / can answer at once. Such
as can do. Others are requests for infOr-
nation i must look up or have looked up, or
are commands sending me to this department
or to that TO attend to private business for con-
stituents- Armed with these letters and with a
list Of things have to see to, 1 go, say to the
Treasury Department first. i rush through
there as fast as l can. always being delayed
more or less BY the presence of many others Of
my kind, who are there on business similar to
nwn Ernu, aryt IN anh TO frovx
subordinate to Secretary,I go until have done
up that department for that day. Sometimes
there is waiting and pleading and urging, COM
naDding and kicking. perspiration and loss Of
go, as woman goes from store
to store on a shopping tour at Christmas time.
Thre the same kicking and scuffiing and
husling has to be done over again, and from
thre to the next and the next, until ell the
departments are cleared up for the day. By
that time have material for answers to a very
large number Of letters. But have no time
tien for writing. / must hurry to attend a
committee meeting, at which am supposed to
make a report as . subcommittee, on one or
two bills which have been referred to me to
examine into, formulate and advise the COM
hittee upon. have forgotten Just what time
have devoted to this duty. 1 must have done
\ in my sleep, for all the rest of the time up
b that hour has been accounted for. But that
ipublic business and couldn't be expected to
b given right of way over private matters,
Mich must be attended to for considerste con-
sltuents.
IN THE coSrNrrrEf RocN.
81 60 to the committee to discuss matters I
hve had no time to look into, and must study
th question and discuss it at the same time.
A the close Of the meeting / am given other
bis TO examine and am instructed to draw up
reprts on certain measures / am supposed to
thoroughly understand. The House has met
menwhile- i have a bill, just q little bill of
Unrest to my folks at home, upon the passage
OF Ehich great local political consequences
delnd- Unjust try to get the Speakers ear, to
mae an engagement with his eye. must try
TO q unanimous consent, and to do so must
pies with certain hsbitual directors to keep
stillust this once. l wait with my nerves at
hightension. shouting and pressing myself
forwrd and getting red in the face, and in the
end e regular order is demanded before can
get Their the ear, the eye or unanimous
constt- The regular order is a measure which
lamrpposed to take an interest in, to have
examed and to understand and to be ready
10 dcuss, propose amendments to and all
that rt of thing. On that bill am making
my rOrd as a statesman Meanwhile all that
inforntion have got or have failed to get at
the dsartments. all the things / have done
therer have failed to do. which has to be writ
ten ahlt TO my various distant correspondents
Is ruIing through my head and try to steal
monnt now and then to write letter, to
lessenae pile that must be written after the
Houseas adjourned
CALLED OUT BIZ CARDS.
MAR times during the day I am made
aware a bit Of cardboard that my presence
would appreciated in the corridor. Some
times IL merely some one from my home who
wants tshake hands with me and ask how
am getts on and talk about the folks end the
things shome. Sometimes il is a gentleman
who hAsome to hear from my own mouth
for the kndredth time that il is not in NV
power touspend the civil service law in his in
terest- Jain it is a lady who requires a great
many mites Of my time in which to con-
vince NJ that 1 should subscribe to
this or to that scheme, should pay
70 have my picture printed in some
country eet whose revenues depend upon
paymentsor pictures. should help some beney-
client moment by the influence of nv name
and the rplus of my salary; should express
for the bteft Of . moral reform association
my viewsn temperance, woman suri age and
detne N creed, or that / should use nv in
nuence tpass private claim which all the in
uuence gentlemen like myself in the last
half don Congresses had been wasted on.
heauwhi may be subject to criticism il l am
seen spemng so much time in earnest CONVEX
sauon vii ladies in the corridors. Perhaps a
gentlemaIwho sends in for me merely wan d
10 'borro' IS or $40 to tide him over tenn
Porary EMBARRASSMENT The fact that we are
perfect singers makes il less embarrassing
Tor nm to'xpose to me his poverty!
u HIS LODGINGS AGAIN.
h. T. A..