Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-08

Il III
| HEHtyl'lL time with them. Elec-
| GEE llHt lions are approach
suI( ing, and those Of
.,ill. lS8~/ them who have al
fE<&NA ready secured or ex-
- g1 pect to get renomina-
tions must see TO the repair of their no.
htical fences. This business of rnending
FENCES Is very difficult. IL is patronage
chieny that breaks them down The most
important task of the candidate al home ts
10 soothe the feelings of people who have
not succeeded in getting the offices they ex-
rected. III the Congressman belongs 10 the
party In power, ne must explain why he
did not get places for this person and that.
such snarls are by no means easy 20 nm
tangle. III he has not secured many offices
Tor his constituents. he Is apt TO be turned
down. The people want a representatiye
who can get things for them So. likewise.
DO the local politicians. Some members are
supposed to possess special influence with
the President and the executive DEPART
ments- The reputation Is political CAPITAL
10 them. Each Congressman wants TO have
IL understood IN mis- district that he has a
big pull at Washington
III me Congressman belongs to the party
that is represented i'm the White House his
o os,.a tents expect him TO push pension
Claims through for them of-hand. Ne cam
not make them understand why he is un-
able to do this But II he is not of the
PARTY In power. he escapes easily enough by
saying that he can do nothing with a hos
tile administration He has no influence.
he says. Ii is a cold bluff, but IL goes.
This Is a great stump year. In the fall
canvass most of the members of the present
Congress will take active part Many of
them will speak nightly for the six weeks
preceding the elections. Some of them will
deliver from two TO six speeches every day.
For some time past they have been engaged.
assisted by their clerks. In assembling ma
terial for these orations. The bigger the
man. the greater the number OF speeches
that VIII be expected from him. A nominee
OF SO little consequence that no newspaper
Will report him verbatim can use the same
speech right along i'm different places: his is
comparatively easy task. But IL is other
wise with the conspicuous men, such as
Iom Heed, crisp. burrows. Bourke Cochran
and William l.. Wilson. whose words viii
be telegraphed all over the country. They
must have as many orations as they have
engagements
The Electionceriag Dsstes.
From now until election the ambitious
statesman must travel through every town
ard hamlet In his district He must go to
every camp meeting. must kiss every new
baby. and must shake hands with every
woman he finds at the wash tub UP to her
elbows In suds Nearly every mail brings
making demands for campaign funds,
which must be drawn from his private
purse. He must comply also with requests
for large Quantities OF campaign literature
which he procures by application to the
congressional campaign committee of the
party at Washington. The nominee whose
election is a thing may take things
easy, having no fight on his hands. How
ever, IL he Is man of national reputation.
he will be expected to give help I'm other
districts where his party is weak. Prob
ably Speaker Crisp has already received
more than a hundred requests for such aid
In the approaching campaign during which
he will be on railway trains most of the
time, delivering orations at different points.
In some parts of the country the wives of
candidates for Congress take part in the
electioneerfng, accompanying their hus-
bands on campaign trips and helping to
make n good impression on the people.
The Congressman at home seeking re-
election is busy man indeed. For the
sake of illustration. take a typical day as
he may be supposed to be spending IL at
any time during the next two months:
am--He is walked up by Farmer Hay
seed on the way TO market. That individ-
ual wishes to inquire about the progress OF
an application for a pension for Aunt Gym
thia, who is poor and rheumatic. The Con-
gresham says that he viii write to WASH
inGton about IL.
Z am.-Interrupted WINE shaving by
young man with an inventive turn, who
desires to know IL the Congressman win see
to the business OF procuring a patent
s a-m.-Summore from breakfast by a
local politician of influence. who gives
notice that the opposition managers have
discovered an alleged flaw In the Congress
mans record. which is to be used as an
argument against him IN the campaign.
He writes to Washington Immediately for
docun ents to disprove the allegation.
ANA life Insurance agent calls ana
speaks gloomily of the mortality among
statesman at Washington recently. He
talks for an hour about n policy that will
make the holder n millionaire In ten years.
whether he lives or dies. The Congressman
cannot afford to be uncivil. even 20 an In
surance agent. when he Is running for re-
election.
10 a.m.-He goes by appointment 10 de-
liver an address at n local church anniver-
sary. Being the most conspicuous person
preser {, he cannot well contribute less than
s25 to a subscription that is taken zap 10
pay of the mortgage. on the whole II Is q
costly mornings recreation
IL 80 ANA local crank meets him OUT
side the church and asks Tor a complete set
Of the census report of 1870. He button
holes the Congressman. and insists on talk
ins politics.
three people who want to know about their
pension s; also n man who wishes 20 inquire
why he has not received certain seeds prom
Used to him some time back. The Congress
man makes n memorandum Of the matter.
p.m.-Interrupted as he is sitting down
to. lunch by 4 bicycle maniac. who wants to
get certain government maps 10 help MIN
find good roads.
p.m.-Another local politician calls ana
asks for 500 TO pay certain incidental ex-
penses of the campaign. The Congressman
writes a check and gives the visitor drink
of whisky and a cigar. The politician Is
encouraged by these refreshments to stay
a while and talk.
3pm.-A widow calls ana appeals for the
Congressmans influence In procuring an
appointment for her boy TO the Military
Academy at West Point. Women never
know when to go-that Is, when they come
10 talk business. This case is no exception.
4 p.m.--A chronic Office seeker drops In TO
express his disappointment at not getting
lob under the government He is followed
by an agricultural person with whskers.
who wants to know II the Congressman
cannot procure for him some of the Seeding
trees which are distributed gratis by the
Department OF Agriculture.
p.m.-A number Of important letters
have to be written, notwithstanding inter-
ruptions by another pension applicant and
a committee that comes to invite the Con-
gresham 10 speak al a religious revival In
the vicinity.
p.m-Dnner eaten hastily IN order to
enable the Congressman to bc present at
political gathering I'm a neighboring town,
where he expected 10 make long Grafton
cl.r hn .arfr ff