The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-05-18
ALWAYS ON HIS TRACK
That's What's the Matter With
Senator Hanna.
HUNTED by THE OFFICE SEEKERS.

Few Applicants Hail From New England.
Long Public Service of Senator Burrowe.
Some Curious Ideas OF Veteran Soldiers
and Others.
WASHINGTON, May -l.-[Spccial. ]-Sen-
ntor Hanna won't to his homo ut Cleveland
last week for tho purpose of getting little
much needed rest. Tt is n fact that the
senator's health Is not good, and that no
has been driven almost to his bed by the
opportunities of tho office seekers They
have dogged his footsteps day and night,
and have given him no peace. AS illus
trating the troubles which tho senator has
had with tho place hunters, 1 am ablo to
tell u story of somewhat remarkable
character and to vouch for it's truth. Mr..
Hanna lives at tho Arlington hotel, and
he has generally used certain room there
for his office, as q place to receive his nu-
mcrous visitors. But for several weeks no
has found 1t necessary to moyo his Office
from room to room. AS soon as tho horde
learned whcro tho Office was, they called
There without sending up their cards, and
literally forced tho much prosecuted M
tional chairman to take refuge in flight
One day his Office was in No. 20, next day
1t was removed to the floor below, tho
third day to another part of tho house, and
so on till in the course of u fow weeks Mr..
Hanna had occupied about half tho rooms
in tho hotel. Even this device did not
throw tho Office seekers off tho track They
managed to find him. They waylaid him
rs he entered the dining room. If ho
showed his face in tho lobby of tho hotel to
buy cigar or have n chat with tho pro-
prletor, he was Mt onco surrounded At
the senate chamber they wcro after him as
thick rs flies about n summer kitchen. No
wonder ho was compelled to leave Wash
ington and to seek rest in tho quiet Of his
home i'll the suburbs of Cleveland
Where tho Aspirants Como From.
A curious fact in connection with tho
o1iicc 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
crn states as Illinois, Indiana and Town.
Illinois probably has greater number of
aspirants for Office under this atlministra-
tion than any other two states in tho I'm
ion, and Chicago three times as many as
any other city.
'-N'"eNAo thho REPRESENTATIVES, NuVO 6ucn
enormous mails to look after that they find
tho task of simply signing their names to
the replies prepared by their secretaries and
stenographcrs quito burden. To relieve
themselves of as much of this drudgcry rs
they possibly can many of them hayo had
made rubber stamps bearing IL facsimile of
their signatures. These are used by tho
secretaries in signing tho letters Probably
half tho letters from Republican senator's
now going out in tho mails arc signed in
this way. The recipients doubtless suppose
tho communications bear tho autographs
OF tho distinguished men whose names are
signed, and some of them doubtless treas
uro their letters for this reason. But the
little rubber stamp does tho business.
An Aged Senator.
Senator Harris of Tennessee, the veteran
member of congress, who dates further
back In our legislative annals than any 9th
or man now in public life, has returned
from his homo in fairiy good health. Tho
senator's friends at ono timo feared he
would not recover sufficient strength to
resume his duties in the upper branch, but
the old man says ho intends to 1.-Two ont. his
present term, which will carry him to tho
year 1899, and thus give him n record of
just half century between tho date of his
appearance i'll congress and his retire
mcnt
In n recent letter concerning tho length
Of service of veteran members of the senate
ana house l fell into an error as to tho date
oil the appearance In congress of Scna-
tor burrows of Michigan. He was credited
with beginning his service in tho Forty
ninth congress. Mr.. Burrows actually
started his congressional career IL years
earlier. He was II member of tho Forty
third Forty sixth and Forty seventh con-
crosses He started in again with tho
Forty ninth and was elected to every con-
grcss thereafter up to and including tho
Fifty-fourth, from which ho resigned to
become Il senator.
Tho rumor that Justice Field, tho vet
cran of tho supreme bench, is to retro in
low months has again made its appear
ance. AS have already stated in these
dispatches, tho understanding among JUS
tico Fields cOnfreres on the bench Is that
he intends to die in harness. He subscribcs
to the supreme court tradition that when
man reaches an advanced ago upon the
bench it is fatal To him to retire and thus
break off all his well settled habits and
associations. Moreover l know that Ger.
tain interested gentlemen have recently
cndeavorcd to broach the subject of his
rumored retirement to Justice Field, and
have every timo been politely but persist
emily led away from that topic of CONVEX
saton.
Curious Facts.
western senator tells mo that among
the old soldiers in his state u curious idea
as to the proper function of u United States
senator appears to prevail. He has re-
ccivcd a number of letters from war vet
Grams asking him to press their pension
claims and inclosing IL So bill for his fec
OF course the senator returns the money
with n bit of advice concerning tho pro-
pricty of thus attempting to influence