Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
How Congressman Pass the Hours of
3 Daylight.
THEY HAVE VERY LITTLE WORK TO Do
The Labor! Of, This Session Falls
J II.
toa Few Leaders.
THE ADVANTAGES OF CLERKS

wrong sort of an administration to deal
with, and the dem ocrats having got about
all they have to hope for in the way or ap-
pointments from Mr.. Cleveland. with the
d.sagreeahle task of office hunting out OF
the way, there is comparatively little OF real
troublesome work that members clerk
may not relieve him Of These clerks are
grea. Institutions, and the man who comes
to Congress now for the first time cannot
appreciate what hard time his predecessor
had before clerks were allowed. The man
ual labor of writing large number OF let
tiers each day and Of looking up information
for speeches or for any other purpose is
now escaped.
But few men in the present House nave
the prospect Of hard work before them
Most of the committees will have nothing
| to do. The committee on ways and means
which is usually hard worked, has finished
its labors, as far as any one can see, and
can look complacently upon the future. The
committees on elections have great deal
to do, but the work is divided Up. and 1t is
expected that all viii be soon over with
The appropriation committee has its usual
work, and those other committees having
appropriation bills cannot enjoy immunity
from labor, but beyond that there IS
hardly any work in sight that the commit
tees will have to do, unless, TO get cam
paiSn material, they take up Investigations
Bills are numerous enough, but very few
of them demand attention, or are likely to
receive any.
Upon two or three members on the demo-
cratic side and half dozen or SO on the
republican side will fall the labor of look
ing out for party politics. These leaders
have to join the issues on the big general
questions and look Up the records for cam
paisn material to put into speeches. The
leaders must do this; otn ars Ray or may
not assist, just as they feel about it.
Leisure Time.
The average member Of the House has
ample time to think over his own affairs,
or to study and prepare himself for Il ca
reer. or to devote to theater going and
pleasure. He does not have to get to the
Capitol much before, Il o'clock, unless he
happens to have been assigned to one Of
the few working committees. and he does
not always have to go to the Capitol at all.
The present peculiar conditions make it SO
that he does not have TO work hard unless
he is ambitious, and even The most am
bilious may be discouraged of any effort to
crafty their desire Of emihence through
work. What time the member gets up in
the morning depends upon what time he
goes to bed, and that may depend upon
many things, among others, upon what sort
of a man he is The average man break
fasts about o'clock. Half an hour before
that his mornings mail is brought around.
Early Morning Duties.
papers, a lot of pamphlets, tracts and adver-
tsements, and from ten 20 twenty-five let
terS All the newspapers except the local
paper of his own home goes into the waste
basket promptly. These are followed by the
pamphlets and advertisements, and finally
by some of the letters Most of the latter
have to be answered. Some of them require
something to be looked up at the depart
ments or elsewhere, and involve work tefore
IA Nlna Ia "
can be made at once in line. Before
clerks We're allowed, this letter writing in
volved very trying labor for the member.
Now the Stenographar Is called in. Those
letters which can be answered off-hand are
first disposed of. Brief replies, most of them
in the same stereotyped form. are dictated.
The clerk is then instructed 10 look up what
is required by the other letters and to make
reply according to The result of his research
or inquiries. The member then reads his
home paper and looks over the principal
features of one of the Washington papers.
cuts out anything about himself. glances
at the stock market reports. reads the head
lines of the foreign news, reads speculatons
concerning Congress and politics. and then
meeting at the Capitol. ali this morning
work will be shortened ana much of it
postponed until later in the day. If the
meeting is called for 10 o'clock, the usual
hour, he will manage to De on hanl by 1920
or II. If there is no meeting of this sort
demanding his attention, the hour of his ar
rival at the Capitol is regulated largely by
his fondness for being seen in his seat, or
Tor mlnSl1ng in the gossip ante-SeSSion as
Semblage. He is likely to appear On the
floor of the House any time between Ills
and II.
At the Capital.
Whatever time he has to spare between
his arrival and the hour of prayer Is de-
voted to gossip with his colleagues. Near
the elevator, by the basement entrance prin-
cipally used, is the House post office Here
the member stops on his way to the hall of
the House and gets his second morning mail
He may get from two to half a dozen letters
These he usually reads during the session of
the House. If he did not have a clerk he
would have to answer them as he read them
but, as 1t now is a note on the back will re-
mind him of their contents, and he puts
them away until he can get hold of his
stenographer. Some members do not have
any of their mail delivered at their lodg-
ings, but get 1t all at the post office on their
arrival at the Capitol, and read it during
the session. Some also postpone reading
their newspapers until the House meets
If the member has any bills he has been
asked to introduce, or which he has had his
stenographer prepare for him, he hands
them to one of the clerks at the desk or puts
them in the receptacle designated for bills
at some time during the day. If he has
bill or resolution he wants unanimous con-
sent to have considered during the morning
hour, he endeayors to see the Speaker be-
fore the House meets. to arrange for rscog-
milton, and if he does not succeed in this he
takes his place in the semi-circular space in
front of the, Speakers desk Immediately
after prayer. and. with bill held in the air,
awaits the Speakers recognition, meanwhile
making frantic efforts to catch that evasive
orb, the Speakers eye. When the recogni-
ton has been arranged beforehand he has
but to stand in HIS place on the floor and
address the Speaker. During the session,
after the morning hour, the member seldom
pays any attention to the regular proceed
ings unless they personally interest him.
The Daily Grind.
HIS time is then demanded between reading
letters or the newspapers. looking over the
Record, discussing some question or ex-
changing gossip and stories with some of
his colleagues at his seat. in the cloak room
or in the Speakers lobby; receiving visitors
in the Hobbies, going to lunch, and making
an occasional visit to the other wing of the
Capitol to see his Senator. If he is easily
entertained. and is not given to talking he
may lean back in his chair most of the day
with his hands folded, and listen in an alb
stracted, inattentive sort Of way to what Is
going on about him, without participating
in it or fully realizing what it is. Some