The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-27

CONGRESSMAN BRoOKsHIRE's CORRESPOND
ENCE.
Ing the sitting of their house and devote
themselves exclusively to legislative labor
1t is otherwise with the average member.
One such with whom I happen to be
best acquainted starts in at s o'clock every
morning with table piled high with let
tiers and papers from his district contain
ing marked passages, by which the editors
desire to call his attention TO special fea-
lures in the situation. He tolls from two
TO four hours writing such letters as are
strictly confidential and then hastens to
bis typewriter at the capitol to do such
writing as it is safe for other eyes to see,
and every third day, at the least, he puts
in every hour he can spare from the house
sittings at looking through the depart
ments and attending to the personal in
terests of constituents
Pointed Instructions.
And here is the first point to be noted
on which there is surprising amount Of
Ignorance among people who have not
visited Washington. Three-fourths Of the
letters plainly show that the writers con-
ceive of the public offices as all in one
building like the county offices in court
house or at any rate grouped around some
public square. They do not know that one
visiting the various departments in their
order by the shortest routes must travel
about five miles. 1t is very common
thing to see in the letters such expressions
as next time you are at liberty for few
minutes please step into the pension Of
fce," etc, when you go to the capitol
tomorrow, please stop at the treasury, q" etc.
And sometimes the writer lays down
with great emphasis what his member
must say to the president. 1t goes without
saying that just at present these instruc-
tons are particularly pointed, and from
every section of the west and south come re-
quests to tell Cleveland that the people are
Rwfully dissatisfied. - Tell the president
that the people just exactly won't stand a
tax on sugar" And sometimes, "Tell Gro
yer that If he doesn't do something for the
people saltpeter won't save us in this coun-
ty and district The idea that any one Of
$50 members should feel at liberty to talk
In that style to the president is sufficient
IL ludicrous without establishment, but
it is to be remembered that the average
constituent believes his own congressman
one of the great men of the country, and
it is to be hoped that they write such things
rather as a spur to congressman than with
any idea that the message will reach the
president 1t will probably surprise many
well informed persons to learn that scores
of congressman never even see the presi-
dent for months and scores of others never
talk with him during the entire term.
Difficulties In the Way.
There is another point on which there Is
almost universal ignorance, even among
people who are supposed to be well posted,
and that is the great reduction in the
number of Offices to be had by appointment
and the great increase in the number en-
titled to claim them. The Democratic con-
gressnen at present are laboring under ex-
traordinary difficulties in procuring places
for their constituents In the first place,
the civil service rules are now thoroughly
enforced in all the departments, in the In
dian service and the railway mail service,
and that takes 46, 600 offices out of the ap-
pointed classes. In the second place, sew
eral territories have recently been admitted
10 statehood and in others, as the Demo
cratic platform declares, the offices are TO
be filled by residents thereof. So all the
territorial appointments are practically be-
fond the reach of congressman.
The spirit of the civil service reform is
also supposed to be working In all direc-
lions, and taking all these things together
[ think it amoderate estimate that there
Are today less than half as many offices
available for congressional patronage as
there were in the administrations of Grant
Ind Hayes. Add TO this that there are ga
Democrats in the house and Al in the SEN
ate, and it will be apparent that the pat
homage Of any one member is less than a
third of what it formerly was Nearly all
Inc working members say the new system
Mill be great relief TO them when it is
bully established and understood by the
people, but while it is being put in force
Ind not yet comprehended by their constit-
hents the results are embarrassing.
The President and Civil Service Reform.
1t is taken for granted that the senators
control the entire foreign service, most of
the internal revenue service and the Gus
IONS appointments in all the larger cities
Is well as all postoffices of the presidential
rank. In fact, there is little or nothing
left the average member except the country
postoffices, and even as 10 them this Is
spoken of as a Mugwump administration.
And here comes in one of the curious fea-
lures of the present very curious regime.
Mr. Cleveland is, 10 say the least, peculiar.
Ii Is evident that for awhile he holds TO
civil service reform principles with great
tenacity; then the pressure on him grows
too strong TO be resisted He gives way,
and having once broken over the fence
gallops recklessly through the old fields of
Democratic and Jacksonian freedom in ap-
continents. de then gets disguised APP
parently and goes back to civil service
strictness Tor a time.
In at least five great states the Demo-
cratic machine is against him, and his
supporters are in somewhat prosecuted
minority. OF course he must stand by
them, as human nature, TO say nothing of
honor, would lead him TO do. and this in
wolves him in rather undigniied contest
with senators. Another popularity OF the
man, if one may accept the testimony of
leading Democratic members, is in his sud
den and strong likes and dislikes. Very
often he is seized with an admiration for
. ussa at 1rst sight and viii give hun any