Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-02-21
A C0NGRESSMAN'S DAILY LIFE.
His Duties and LabOrs as Varied as
Those of POOh.Bah.
Things that Command his Attention Dur
ing II Single Day.

Very few have an idea of the daily
work of Congressman. If he attends
to his duty he may work eighteen hours
a day, and still have work unfinished.
If a member of leading committee
and attending its sessions regularly
and the sessions of the sub committees
to which he is assigned, and performs
the task allotted to him there, he will
do well aside from any other work. But
he must also attend the sessions of the
House and be in readiness to sustain OF
oppose bills that effect 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 five letters day. One letter
in hundred may contain a postage
stamp. He pays the postage for answers
to the remainder out of his own pocket.
Many of the requests will be to look up
claims for pensions and use his influ-
ence in forwarding settlements. If he
is a Democrat. a dozen of the letters
will be applications for Office directly
or indirectly. Some may be from mu
tuql friends and others indorsed by per.
sons of influence, if he visits the de-
partments and after DIS personally to all
these requests, this alone will take up
his entire time. Some are applications
made by constituents, but the ma aiority
come from persons who have no such
claim up n the attention of the Repre-
sentative. Then there are letters max
ing 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 Cap.
itol. If he desires to 60 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, in
vestigating bills, drawing up reports
and keeping close watch upon the
legislation of the House. he will not
have time to keep abreast with the new
OF the day, or attend to any social obi.
cations. He will do well to find time
to eat and sleep. To illustrate this it il
only necessary to detail one day in the
life of a Congressman.
Take day in the week ending De
cember l6. 1893. The Congressman lives
at hotel near the Capitol. Before
o o'clock in the morning cards are sert to
him. One is from young lady bring
ing letter from gentleman residing
thousand miles from the Congress.
mans district, asking him to secure a
place for her in one of the departments.
Another is from veteran member OF
the G. A. R., who thinks he has been
illegally discharged from Government
employment. A third is from some
schoomate, who desires personal in
production to the President. Disposing g
of these visitors as best he can, the
Congressman goes to the Capitol, or
dering his breakfast at the House res
taurant while ON his way to the com.
mittee room.
There he finds his mail. Besides the
letters there are baskeUful of news
papers, many of which contain mark ed
articles for inspection. Then there il
raft public documents and pamph
lets on all conceivable subjects from
silver and pension legislation down to
matters of tritling interest. CranBs
present visionary schemes and person.
interested in private bills flood hin
with circulars. He is invited to ban
quets and receptions, and asked to re
nit checks for tickets of admission tC
entertainments Civ, II for charitable anC
other purposes.
He has barely time to sift the heal
before he is called to breakfast Ever
here, unless wary, he is subject to i'm
portunites from visitors. On his way
back to the committee roomhe is buttol
holed by delegations around the door
of the Copmittee of Ways and Means
and urged to use mis- influence TOWARD
changing the tariff schedule. Preserv
ing his equanimity, he does his best TO
his friends and is nailed the door o
hisro by committees from the Cham
ber of Commerce and Maritime Asso
citation, who urge him to exert his in
fluence against bill damaging to tn,
commercial interests OF the city the'
represent.
He arrives at the committee room il
time to take part in the deliberations o
a subcommittee intrusted with bill o
great importance. The meeting last
until high moo /, when the Speaker call
the House to order. The Legislative
mill begins to turn out its grist. T
vote intelligently he must pay close at
tention and understand thoroughly tn
subject under discussion. But he find
it difficult to remain in his seat thre
minutes.
IL he yoes IN the restaurant tn lnpcl