The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-03-04
WEN, Web uSD GEsANe. I"


expects to turn the grindstone.
In the senate it is different. There is
a standing order in that body that no
card shall be taken to the senators
earlier than two o'clock in the day.
This rule is a rigid one and is strictly
adhered to. so that the senators are able
to attend to public business for at least
two hours without any Interruption
from callers, no matter how high and
mighty they may be. The messengers
and assistant doorkeepers do not dare
to carry cards to the senators during
this time. No such rule as this can be
enforced by the house of representa-.
tives. Senators arc 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 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 10 call
upon the capitol police to clear 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 sit 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 CLEANED by the busy
gatherers of items of interest to their
special constituencies.
When representative comes to one
of the doors in response to a card from
one of his constituents, he finds him.
self facing crowd, where he is seized
and hauled in 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 Of some of the
windows in the corridors it is not an unu-
sual occurrence to see a new member of
congress conversing with piquant and
aggressive young woman, loudly
dressed. Although the numerous pass
ers-by notice them not, nor see aught
in their conduct whereof TO grumble or
comment, the experienced newspaper
men recognize tie presence Of a soiled
dove, a sinful siren, who is Turing from
the path Of rectitude representative
of the people, the husband of trust
ing wife, a father of devoted children.
But this is a 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 comment
made, when a soul is sinking in this
manner; when the wings of genius are
being clipped. and when the aspirations
of ambition arc being deadcned, dwarfed
into insensibility, infamy and possible
disgrace. SMITH d. FRY.