The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-05
WASDESPERATE
How Senator CullOm Sc
cured Appointment
Threatened to Resign From
Senate if it Wasn't Made.
Pressure OF the Office Seekers-A
New Star in Lower House.


Of the Office seeking methods employed at
this capital are pathotically comic or COM
ically pathetic as you choose Imagine an
old, an eminent senator of the United
States going To one of the departments
and talking about resigning and going
home to his constituents unless he could
get an appointment worth 5000 year.
That Is what the senior senator from 1lli-
nois, Mr.. Cullom, did a short time ogo.
Mr. Cullom had been 20 tho White House
almost daily for throc months He had
religiously visited the hends OF depart
ments. Ho had pulled and coaxed till he
was tired But tho results had been al
most nothing at all. He could not "land"
anything. So one day he became despcr-
ute. IIo started out from home determined
that ho would have something from the
administration before sundown or know
the neason why. Ho went over 10 the war
department with one of his followers and
saw the secretary. .
The Bluff Worked.
General Alger, said tho desperate sem
ator, there is "a vacant IAssscngership
here and want H. II can't get little
thing like mcssengership in one OF the
departments, may as well resign my seat
in the senate and go home. ldou, too;
blamed il / don't"
The senator talked as IL he meant &c,
and Secretary Alger became alarmed.
"Tut, tut, senator" he exclaimed sooth-
ingly. "That viii never do. You mustn't
talk that way. Wen see what we can do. "
So the secretary tapped his bell and
asked 10 see certain subordinate, and
when that official appeared the secretary
told him 10 make out the papers for Sen
ator Cnllom's man. The old senator
thanked General Aiger and walked out OF
the department. with smile on his face.
"You didn't really mean that you would
resign, did your" his friend asked him as
they walked down the steps.
"Resignr cxclnimcd Cullom. "Say, do
you think | have lost my senses? OF
course wouldn't resign. But 1 wanted
that appointment, and l had TO make u
bluff for II. -
There is as usual, great deal of COM
plaint among The sgTators and representa-
tives because the president doesn't make
his appointments more rapidly. They have
tried in every way they can think Of 10 ex-
pedito matters, but tho president Is i'm
i
patches long before Mr.. Mckinley camo
to Washington, lie had made up his mind
that he was going very slow in tho Office
filing business : III after the tariff bill was
passed, and be has held resolutely TO his
determination. There issa difference of
opinion os TO whether holding up the offices
does any good. Some think the president
is right Co keep his capital in hand as long
as he can. Others think that the slower
he goes tho moro pressure there is and the
more discomfort
Dodging the Office Seekers.
Ikpow senator whose constituents are
still so hot nfter him about offices that he
actually goes into hiding almost every day
to get away from them. During tho fore
noon ho locks himself mp In his inner com
mitteo room, and the messenger at tho
door Is instructed To say that he is not
there. Watching n chance to skip 10 the
senate chamber, be snugges down into
his scat and protects himself behind the
rule that cards arc not TO be sent 10 sena-
tors till after O'Clock unless by their di-
rection. Sharp at , tho senator hies him
self by rassagcways which are not ayaila-
bic To the public TO the senate cafe, or ''re-
fectory," as the digniiied senate insists
upon calling It, and thoro he is safe again,
for none but senator's and representatives
Is permitted within those sacred pre-
cincts. Luncheon over, he goes to the sem
ate cloakrooms for smoke, and from be-
hind screen observes tho proceedings on
the floor. In this way he dodges through
the afternoon, and at night Is never TO be
found at his home, It's dogs sort of
life, the senator says, but he is utterly
4
of Office seeking pressure.
There Is a new star In the house. He Is
James Hamiltnn- Lewis of Washington.
The newspaper men have dubbed him
Hamlet" Lewis because he looks like the
distressed Dane He attires himself very
much after the fashion of IA Piccadilly
dude. He wears long coats, spats, the
highest OF collars, gorgeous neokties, and
his whiskers and hair are something fear
full and wonderful 90 behold. But with all
these eccentrcties James Hamilton Lewis
has made hit. 10 is looked upon as one
of the brightest men on the Democratic
side. He can talk like II fro engine trying
to put oUt "a Ore in the stockyards district,
and he has wit ard solid sense. He has
given Tom Reed some hard nuts 10 crack
In the line Of parliamentary law, and
when nc addresses the speaker now every
one stops % listen, for 10 is well under
stood there Is fun ahead.
A Skyrocket Career.
james Hamilton Lewis has had me-
teorio career. Three or four years ago he
was an unknown, "a struggling lawyer and
newspaper man ont on the slope. Then no
got hold Of desperate case involving val
nable lands. No ono thought it could bo
won--no ono but James Hamilton LOWS.
He stuck 10 IL ~ The local courts, took IL
to the supreme bench, argued it himself,
won, pocketed $4,000 fec and at one
leap became one Of the most successful
lawyers In the far west. From that day
TO this he has had all he could do and is
fast becoming rich. Three months ago
he came TO congress and through nerve
and audacity has stepped to high place
In the house.
Secretary Long appears to enjoy his
work I'm the navy department. Visitors
occasionally catch him humming an air at
his desk, and It Is usually something about
Harvard college. The secretary was of the