The Southern herald., 1892-03-25
"wrlN, WE1B uND eEsANe." /"

be sent to the representative whom he
expects to turn the grindstone.
In the senate il is different. There Is
a standing order in that body that no
card shall be taken 10 the senators
earlier than two o'clock in the day.
This rule is a rigid one and is strictly
adhered to, so that the senator's 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 senator's during
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, 1t 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 IA
official patronage do not hesitate tu
come to Washington, ask audiences and
demand the offices of their patrons.
Those statesmen who como from tbs
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 tc
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 tc
whom their cards have been sent. The
representatives usually respond witt
promptness and alacrity to the
calls of the correspondents, gree
them with hearty handshalSes, si
down beside them and talk il
confidential manner about tn,
affairs Of the day which are of especia
interest to the readers of their hom,
papers. 1t is here that the greater por
tion of the news of local interest to th'
newspapers is CLEANED by the busl
gatherers of items Of interest to thet
special constituencies.
When a representative comes to oni
of the doors in response to card from
one of his constituents, he finds him
self facing a crowd, where he Is seizet
and hauled in a number of different
directions by various people who ar
anxious to see him, before he is able X
find the particular individual in re
sponse TO whose card he has left his sea
to come to the corridor.
In the deep recesses Of some of tn
windows in the corridors it is not an unu
sual occurrence to see new member o
congress conversing with piquant AM
aggressive young woman, loudl,
dressed. Although the numerous pass
ers-by notice them not, nor see augh
in their conduct whereof to grumble o
comment, the experienced newspape
men recognize the presence of a sole
dove, a sinful siren, who is Turing fror
the path of rectitude representativ
of the people, the husband Of a trust
ing wife, a father of devoted children
But this is a cold and cruel world; an
in the national capital OF the republi
everyone soon learns to attend to hi
own business, and never a word c
warning is uttered, nor Q commen
made, when a soul is sinking in thi
manner; when the wings Of genins ar
being clipped, and when the aspiration
ofambition are being deadeped, dwarfe
into insensibility, infamy and possibl
disgrace, SMITH D. Far.
Just in Time.