The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-10
WORK is VERY LIGHT
Upon the Members Of Congress
at This Session.
NO PATRONAGE TO HUNT.
the Constituents-How the Rep
rssentatives Kill Time.
NO PATRONAGE TO HUNT.
washington City star.

fcSpohSos4iIe9 laHs Is very ikat t~44s
session
There is practically 10 patronage hunting
20 be done. the Republicans having the
wrong sort OF an administration 10 deal
with. and the Democrats having got about
all they have to hope for IN the way or ap-
po'ntments from Mr. Cleveland. With the
disagreeable task OF office hunting out OF
the way. there is comparatively little real
troublesome work thai q members clerk
may not relieve him OF. These clerks are
great institutions. and the man who comes
To congress now for the first time cannot
appreciate what hard time his predeces-
SCR had before clerks were allowed The
manual labor OF writing large number or
letters each day. and OF looking UP In
formation for speeches, or for any other
purpose is now escaped.
But few men in the present house have
the prospect of hard work before them.
Most or the committees viii have nothing
10 do. The committee on Ways and means.
which is usually hard worked. has finished
Its iabors. as far as any one can see. and
can look complacently upon the future. The
committee on elections have great deal to
do. but the work is divided up. and ii is
expected that all will be soon over with.
The appropriations 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 committees will
have to do, unless. to get Campaign mate
rial. they take up Investigations.
Bills are numerous enough, but very few
OF them demand attention or are likely to
receive any.
The average member OF the house has
ample time to think over his own affairs,
or to study and prepare himself for a ca
rcer. or TO devote TO theater-going and
pleasure. He does not have to get 10 the
capitol much before l. o'clock. unless he
happens to have been assigned TO one of
the few working committees. and he does
not always have TO go 10 the capitol at all.
The present peculiar conditions make II
so that he does not have to work hard un-
less he is ambitious, and even the most
ambitious may be discouraged OF any effort
70 crafty their desire OF eminence 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 man he is. The average man
breakfasts about o'clock. Half an hour
before that his mornings mail is brought
around.
1t VIII consist of maybe half dozen
newspapers, lot of pamphlets. tracts and
advertisements. and from ten to twenty
five letters. All the newspapers except the
local paper of his own home 60 into the
waste basket promptly. These are fol-
lowed by the pamphlets and advertise
ments, and finally by some Of the letters
Most of the latter will have to be an
swered. Some of them require something
to be looked up at the departments or else
where, and involve work before they can
be answered. Generally the reply can be
made at once In a line. Before clerks were
allowed this letter writing involved a very
trying labor for the member. Now the
stenographer is called in. Those letters
u f>|z
disposed Of. Brief replies. most of them
in the same stereotyped form, are dictated.
The clerk is then instructed to look up
what IS required by the other letters and
TO make reply according 10 the result OF
his search or inquiries. The member then
reads his home paper and looks over the
principal features of one of the Washing
ton City papers, cuts out anything about
himself, glances at the stock market re-
ports, reads the headlines OF the foreign
news. reads speculations concerning con-
gress and politics, and then sets out for
the day. If he has committee meeting at
the capitol all this morning work will be
shortened. and much of 1t postponed until
later in the day. II the meeting is called
FOR 10 o'clock, he will manage to be on
hand by half-past 10 or IL If there Is no
meeting of this sort demanding his atten-
ton, the hour of his arrival at the capitol
is regulated largely by his fondness for be-
ing seen In his seat, or for mingiing in the
cosby ante-session assemblage He Is
likely TO appear on the floor of the house
any time between a quarter past IL and T.
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. near the basement entrance
principally used. is the house postoffice.
Here the member stops on his way TO the
nan or the house and gets his second
morning mail. lie may get from two to
half dozen letters. These he usually
reads during the session OF the house. II
he did not have a clerk he would have to
answer them as he reads them. but as II
is now a note on the back viii remind 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
mall delivered at their lodgings, but get all
OF II at the postoffice on their arrival at
the capitol and read IT during the session.
Some also postpone reading their news
papers 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 70 one OF the clerks al the
desk or puts them I'm the receptacle desig-
mated for bills al some time during the dav
If he has bin or resolution he wants
unanimous consent TO have considered
see the speaker before the house meets
10 arrange for recognition. and II 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 the hfll held in the air. awaits
the speakers recognition. meanwhile max
ing frantic efforts TO catch that evasive
orb, the speakers eye When the recogni-
ton has been arranged beforehand he has
but TO stand la his place on the floor and
address the speaker. During the session.
after the morning hour. the member sell
dom pays any attention 10 the regular pro-
eeedings unless they personally interest
him
HIS time IL then demanded between read
Ing letters or the newspapers, looking over
the Record. discussing soma question or
exchanging gossip ara stories with some
OF his colleagues, at his seat n the cloak
room or in the speakers lobby; receiving
visitors in the lohb.es going TO lunch, and
making an occasional visit 10 the other
wing OF the capitol to see his senator. II
be is easily entertained. and Is not given u
talking. ne may lean hack IN his chair most
OF the day. with his han3s folGed. and lis'e1
IN an distracted, inatteniive sort Of way 20
what IS going on about him without par
ticipatiuf. in il or fully realizing what x Ia.
Sometimes. seized with 1T OF industry or
with TIE view OF having his evening tree.
he may retire 10 the speakers lobby or 70
a committee roora. with his clerk and in
ish of his correspondence. An occasional
trip 70 the restaurant may relieve the mo-
notony. or he may saunter through the cor
ri3ors. seeing the crowd and being seer. or
be may sir for while with visitor IN one
CT the galleries. Usually es much tine Is
occupied in goiag 70 the corridors N re-
Spouse to cards as In any other way ~ -
seldom that he pays any attention 20 the
business OF the house, except on soEsae sI'e-