Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-02-25
WEN, Web UND GESANG. !"

this time. No such rule as this can be
enforced by the house of representa-
tives. Senators are elected only once in
six years. Representatives must Sc
cure denomination and reelection
every two years Under the circum-
stances it is absolutely necessary for
them to remain in touch with the peo-
pie, and no one of them can afford to
have any citizen, however humble,
turned away from the doors by an
iron-clad rule which prohibits the pub
lie from seeing a representative of any
congressional district in this country.
While this is theoretically and constitu-
tionally correct, it is exceedingly hard
on the members Of the house who reside
in the vicinity of Washington. 1t does
not cost very much to travel from any
part of Maryland, Virginia, West Vir-
ginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Delaware, or even New York, to the
national capital Constituents of the
honorable gentlemen from these states
who believe that they are entitled to
official patronage do not hesitate to
come to Washington, ask audiences and
demand the offices of their patrons.
Those statesmen who come from the
states in the Mississippi valley, or over
beyond the great father of waters, are
less troubled by the personal appeals
of their constituents, and therefore they
have more time to devote to matters
legislative and departmental Those,
however, who can afford to come to
Washington throng the corridors and
block the doors, especially the main
door of the house, so that the door
keepers are sometimes obliged to call
upon the capitol police to clear a pas
sage-way between the main door and
statuary hall
Reputable and experienced newspa-
per correspondents are permitted to
pass into the vestibules of the principal
doors of the house and 81: in the inches
on either side, while they await the con-
venience of the members OF congress to
whom their cards have been sent. The
representatives usually respond with
promptness and alacrity to the
calls of the correspondents, greet
them with hearty handshakes, sit
down beside them and talk in
confidential manner about the
affairs of the day which are of especial
interest to the readers Of their home
papers. 1t is here that the greater por-
ton of the news of local interest to the
newspapers iS SISdASO ny Lie DuSS
gatherers of items of interest to their
special constituencies
When a representative comes to one
of the doors in response To a card from
one of his constituents, he finds him.
self facing a crowd, where he is seized
and hauled in a number of different
directions by various people who are
anxious to see him, before he is able TO
find the particular individual in re-
Spouse to whose card he has left his seat
| to come to the corridor.
In the deep recesses o. some Of the
windows in the corridors it is not an unu-
sual occurrence to see a new member of
| congress conversing with a piQuant and
aggressive young woman. loudly
dressed. Although the numerous pass
ers-by notice them not, nor see aught
| in their conduct whereof to grnmble or
comment, the experienced newspaper
men recognize the presence of a soi1ed
| dove, a sinful siren, who is Turing from
| the path of rectitude a representative
| Of the people, the husband of trust
| ing wife, father of devoted children.
| But this is cold and cruel world; and
| in the national capital of the republic
| everyone soon learns to attend to his
| own business, and never word of
| warning is uttered. nor a comment
made, when a soul is sinking in this
| manner; when the wings of genius are
| being clipped. and when the aspirations
! of ambition are being deadened, dwarfed
| into insensibility, infamy and possible
! disgrace. SMITH d. FRY.