The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-15
Office Seekers After Sen
atOr Hanna Of Ohio.
Few of the Place Seekers
Come From New England.
Some OF the Curious Ideas OF Vet
sran Soldiers and Others.

ntor Hanna went To his home at Cleveland
last week for the purpose OF getting little
much needed rest. lt Is fact that the
senator's health Is not good, and that he
has been driven almost to his bed by the
opportunities OF the office seekers. They
have dogged his footsteps day and night,
and have given him no peace As illus
trating the troubles which the senator has
had with the place hunters, 1 am able TO
tell a story OF n somewhat remarkable
character and TO vouch for its truth. Mr..
Hanna lives at tho Arlington hotel, and
he has generally used certain room there
for his office, as place To receive his nu-
mcrous visitors. But for several weeks no
has found IL necessary 10 move his office
from room TO room. As soon as tho horde
learned where tho office was, they called
there without sending up their cards, and
literally forced tho much prosecuted M
tonal chairman to take refuge in flight.
One day his Office was In No. 28, next day
it was removed to the floor below, the
third day TO another part Of tho houso, and
so on till in tho course OF u fow weeks Mr..
Hanna bad occupied about half tho rooms
in the hotel Even this device did not
throw the Office seekers OF tho track. They
managed 10 find him. They waylaid him
as he entered tho dining room. If he
showed his face i'm tho lobby of tho hotel to
buy a cigar or have u chat with the pro-
prietor, he was nc onco surrounded. At
the senate chamber they were after him as
thick az fiies about summer kitchen. No
wonder no was compelled TO leave Wash
ington and 20 seek rest in tho quiet OF his
home in the suburbs Of Cleveland.
Where the Aspirants Come From.
A curious fact in connection with the
Office seeking craze Is that few applicants
for appointment hail from New England.
That is, few by comparison. 1t Is est
mated by senators and representatives that
the number Of candidates from tho New
England states is about half in proportion
to the number from New York and Penn
sylvania, and only one-sixth the number
that have appeared from such middle west
ern states as Illinois, Indiana and Iowa.
Illinois probably has greater number of
aspirants for Office under this administra-
tion than any other two states in the I'm
Ion, and Chicago three times as many as
any other city.
Senators and representatives have such
enormous mails to look after that they find
the task Of simply signing their names TO
the replies prepared by their secretaries and
stenographers quite burden. To relieve
themselves Of as much of this drudRery as
they possibly can many of Sem have had
made rubber stamps bearing facsimile OF
their signatures. These are used by the
secretaries In signing the letters. Probably
half tho letters from Republican senators
now going out In tho mails arc signed In
this way. The recipients doubtless suppose
the communications bear the autographs
of the distinguished men whose names arc
signed, and somo of them doubtless treas
ure their letters for this reason. But the
little rubber stamp does the business.
An Aged Senator.
Senator Harris Of Tennessee, the veteran
member of congress, who dates further
back in our legislative annals than any 9th
| er man now in public life, has returned
from his homo in fairy good health. The
| senator's friends at one time feared he
would not recover sufficient strength 10
resume his duties in the upper branch. but
| the old man says he intends TO live out his
| present term, which will carry him tn the
| year 1899, and thus give him record OF
| just half century between the date of his
| first appearance In congress and his retire
ment.
In n recent letter concerning the length
of service of veteran members OF the senate
| and house 1 fell into an error as TO tho date
| of the first appearancein congress of Sena-
| tor Burrows of Michigan. He was credited
with beginning his service In the Forty
ninth congress Mr.. Burrows actually
| started his congressional career l2 years
earlier. He was a member of the Forty
third, Forty sixth and Forty-seventh con-
| crosses. He started in again with the
| Forty ninth and was elected to every con-
press thereafter up TO and including the
| Fifty.fourth, from which no resigned to
| Become senator.
The rumor that Justice Field, the vet
eran Of the supreme bench, Is to retire in
| few months has again madc It's appear
/ anca AsI have already stated in these
| dispatches, the understanding among JUS
| tice Fields confreres on the bench Is that
| he intends to die In harness He subscribes
| to the supreme court tradition that when
| nan reaches an advanced age upon the
| bench It Is fatal TO him e. retire and thus
| break off all bis well settled habits and
associations. Moreover, l know that Ger.
tain interested gentlemen have recently
\ epdeayored TO broach the subject OF his
| rumorcd retirement TO Justice Field, and
have every time been politely but persist
emily led away from that topic OF conver-
sation.
] Curious Facts.
| A western senator tclls Ino tHio ainohH
the old soldiers in his state n curious idea
as 20 the proper function of n United States
senator appears Co prevail. He has re-
ceiyed number Of letters from war vet
Grams asking him to press their pension
claims and inclosing n 81 bill for his fee.
OF course the senator returns the money
with bit Of advice concerning the pro-
priety of thus attempting to influence a
public man, but this ho does In kindly
way. II realize" said the senator, that
tho old soldiers mean nothing wrong. They
have been educated by tho pension agents
TO n belief that fee of g. is needed before
anything can be done with their cases. and
they confound us.sonators with the pen
sion agents.
| Another senator showed mo letter
which he had received from one OF his
constituents IL read somewhat as fol
lows: II sec you havo decided to favor the
Il ronnrnipatfpn of our goXtrnOr. lot me