The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-28
1T IS A HARD GRIND.
The Daily Life Of a Member Of
Congress.
Sought For and Importuned on All
Sides-A Graphic Pen Picture.

Sides-A Graphic Pen Picture.
Amos Cummings in the Washington Star
Very few have an idea of the daily
work of a congressman. If he attends to
his duty he may work eighteen hours a
day and still have work unfinished. If
a member of a leading committee and at
tending its sessions regularly, and the
sessions of the subcommittee to which
he is assigned, and performs the task
allotted to him there he will do we'll aside
from any other work. But he must also
attend the sessions of the House and be
in readiness to sustain or oppose bills that
affect his constituents.
Next in importance is his mail. A good
congressman always answers his letters
promptly If an old member of the House.
he receives from forty to seventy-tive let
tiers day One letter in a hundred may
contain postage stamp = He pays the
postage for answers to the remainder out
of his own pocket. If he is a member of
the Grand Army many of the requests
will be to look up claims for pensions and
use his influence in forwarding settle
ments. If he is a democrat, dozen of
the letters will be applications for Office
directly or indirectly. Some may be from
mutual friends and others Endorsed by
persons of influence. If he visits the de-
partments and attends personally to all
these requests, this alone will take up his
entire time. Some are applications made
by constituents, but the majority come
from persons who have no such
claim upon the attention of the
representative. Then there are letters
making applications for public documents,
all of which require more or less atten-
tion. Aside from this work, the congress
man is personally importuned in every
corridor, and at every turn in the capitol.
If he desires to go from the House to his
committee room, he may be an hour in
reaching it, and by the time he gets
there, unless he is man of strong mind,
he forgets the object for which he
started.
If he attends strictly to his duty, inves-
tigating bills, drawing up reports, and
keeping a close watch upon the legisla-
ton of the House, he will not have time
to keep abreast with the news of the day,
or attend to any social obligations. He
will do well to find time to eat and sleep.
To illustrate this it is only necessary
to detail one day in the life of a congress
man.
A TYPICAL DAYS DUTIES.
Take day in the week ending Dec. 16,
1898 The congressman lives at hotel
near the capitol. Before O'Clock in the
morning cards are sent to him. One is
from young lady bringing letter from
gentleman residing a thousand miles
from the congressman's district, asking
him to secure a place for her in one of the
departments. Another is from q veteran
member of the G.. A. r. who thinks he
has been illegally discharged from gov
eminent employment. A third is from
some schoolmate who desires a personal
introduction TO the President. Disposing
of these visitors as best he can, the con-
gresham goes to the capitol, ordering his
breakfast at the House restaurant while
Cd his way to the committee room.
There he finds his mail Beside the
letters there are basketful of news
papers, many of which contain marked
articles for inspection. Then there is a
raft of public documents and pamphlets
on all ivableHsubieots from silver
and pension legislation down TO matters
of trifling interest Cranks present Wis
ionary schemes and persons interested in
private bills food him with circulars.
He is invited to banquets and receptions
and asked to remit checks for tickets of
admission to entertainments given for
charitable and other purposes.
He has barely time to sift the heap be-
fore he is called to breakfast. Even
here unless wary he is subjected impor-
tunitieS from visitors. On his way back
to the committee room he is buttOnholed
delegations around the doors of the com
mittee of ways and means andurged to
use his influence toward changing the
tariff schedule. Preserving his e1uanim-
ity, he does his best for his friends and is
nailed at the door of his room by com
mitteeS from the chamber of commerce
and Maritime Association, who urge him
to exert his influence against bill dam
aging to the commercial interests of the
city they represent
WITH HIS COMMITTEE.
He arrived at his committee room in
time to take part in the deliberations of a
subcommittee intrusted with bill of
great Importance. The meeting lasts I'M
til high noon, when the speaker calls the
House TO order The legislative mill Le-
gins to turn out its grist. To vote intelli-
gently he must pay close attention and
understand thoroughly the subject under
discussion. But he finds it difficult TO re-
main in his seat three minutes.
If he goes to the restaurant to lunch he
is accosted dozen times before he
reaches it, Once at lunch, however, he
is comparatively SAFE unless those seek
ing him are lunching at the same time.
Here constituent presents case in
which prompt attention is required. An
appointment is pending, and action must
be taken at once. After hasty lunch,
they catch the cable cars and HE TO the
treasury department. They wait an hour
or more before the secretary can be seen,
and then are compelled TO wait their turn
before they can address him. Even in
the department the congressman is not
relieved foem opportunities. he meets
others who are there upon similar business
and who urge him TO give whatever aid
he can.
Back to the capitol he goes without ac-
complishing the object sought. Before
he gets into the House he is urged TO favor
this measure or to oppose that. A friend
desires him to press upon the committee
on claims some personal bill. Another
wants him to see the committee on mill
tary affairs and use his influence toward
relieving some man from the charge of
desertion. A third tells him narrowing
story of young lady who has lost her
place in one of the departments and APP
peals to his sympathies to do what he can
toward reinstating her. A fourth has a
claim in the auditors office and urges the
congressman TO revisit the department
and use his influence toward securing its
payment.
A fifth is a Washington correspondent
who wants his views on Hawaii and the
kanaka queen. Here is man who has
trouble in the patent onice, and in de-
hance of the law wants the Representative
to visit the commissioner and expedite the
matter if possible. Here is another from
away of in California seeking a place as
clerk in the Marc Island navy yard and