The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-07
THE MAN BEHIND THE NJ. C.
az AVERAGE DAYS WORK DONE
nv A CONGRESSIONAL sECRETARK.

TaNNHrN on Every hHAb pVAS "
Sa.or. 20 ConRressmen In Warrington
All Attended To-Round of PYRAMIDS of
tbc secretary-The Demand for once.
u,surSoroS, Aug. 0.-There are many ALE
-,otions connected with minor ofncial life at
Warrington whereby pride ID salved and self
.osnect conserved. Commonest among these
IL certain fattery Of title which puts desira-
hllity In place OF fact. For example, the per-
sonal clerks OF Congressman are always known
nv themselves, and generally by the public, as
Congressional secretaries"
The Senate has n comfortable habit OF look
ing we'll after itself. For many years a clork
has been assigned to each Senator. who Ia a
sworn officer Of the Government, with name
immortalized in the Congressional Directory
aud receiving a salary OF $1,000 a year. To
tnch Senator. too. is allotted q convenient room.
either in the Capitol itself or across the way In
the Maltby building, popularity called the Senate
annex, where the said clerk is cozily immured
with typewriter. desk. documents. seeds. and
all other clerical appurtenances. There Is moth
ing p~roblematical or mysterious about the
clerk Of a Senator. He can read his title 30 very
clear in the official skies that an abstract OF 1t
would make dull reading.
But his humber brother, on the other side of
the building, the clerk to a Representative the
Congressional secretary pure and simple. is in
different and harder cnse. Representatives
stand far more In dread of popular censure
than Senators do, the ratio being about two to
six, one might say. following that of their re-
~epective terms. 1t was only a few years ago
that a law was passed. not creating personal
clerks for members. but providing for their
maintenance. In 1893 the House voted to
nav to each member, for each month Of o
session, the sum which he should certify
he had expended for clerk hire. such sum
not to exceed 500 q month. In 8
after vigorous debate and much foreboding Of
another back pay scandal. this resolution was
changed by eliminating the Limitation during
the session." thus making the maximum allow
ance to each member for clerk hire 800 a
month during the year. In practical operation
the Clerk Of the House. who has the matter in
charge. does not wait for any certihcation. but
on the fourth day OF each month sends to each
Representative q check for 500 fQr clerk hire
for the previous month, which check the MEM
Der is presumed to indorse over to the individ-
ual who is systematically known as his Con-
gressional secretary.
The status OF this individual is nondescript.
He receives public pay, but he Is not q public
servant. He serves but one master. who. by
the way, is neither God nor Mammon He IL
obscure. Elusive; q thing without a legal delni-
ton or a local habitation a personal append
age. to be put on or taken Of at the will Of the
possessor. II you want to know who is secre-
tary to any particular Congressman you must
ask that particular Congressman. II he be q
Congressman particular in his official conduct
he will tell you promptly enough. otherwise he
may pause to consider the most diplomatic an
swer under the circumstances. Such o one
might explain to his intimates that he wouldn't
be bothered with o secretary. but It may be
doubted whether his proud disdain extends to
the allowance sent him each month for one.
Ar instance Of the indefinite standing Of the
Congressional secretary was seen lately, when
the House, Just prior to adjournment voted O
months additional pay to each one of its en-
ployees. The elevator man. the Capitol police
man. the sweep and the charwoman. all re-
ceived this very agreeable gratutty; but not q
gratuitous silver came to the Congressiona
secretary. although IL 10 safe to say that hii
work during the session had been harder. more
protracted. and moro necessary than that
OF any other underling. The question nat
urally arises. why does this uncertainty exist
Well. the House. in the first place. adopted an
indirect course through caution: it has con-
tinued In II. through ~laziness. Indifference and
good nature. The method OF receiving the al.
lowance ami turning it over to one'S secretary
has worked well enough for most members
while there are some who can see positive ad.
vantage in 1t. Just as they do In drawing in
money their stationery allowance. They are 40
countable to no one except to themselves.
But in the vast majority Of cases q Congress.
man urgently needs a clerk. and has one in
fact, not In name only. His requisites are
faithfulness. intelligence and ability to write
shorthand, use the typewriter and attend gen.
orally to correspondence. while any additional
endowments. such as a pleasant address. 6
wide acquaintance. a knowledge Of Official
ropes. some connection with the newspaper
world and a memory replete with historical an6
Legislative facts, will stand in no danger Of
being wrapped In a napkin. Nicholas Nickleby
received a very fair statement Of the work Of 6
Congressional secretary from the member Of
Parliament from whom he sought employment
In considering the life OF a Congressional
secretary it will be advisable to view one whc
serves the average Congressman: for q leader
IN the House frequently has two or three per.
eonal clerks. all Of whom. except one. Of course
he pays himself. while the member who is &
member for, what there is in it, and whose
on the roll call; might be embarrassed were his
clerical expenditures examined in detail. Nov
e&g a aTfEsEs to o9hm ave sn ofIc % IA %gssSi In 9ns wFl
ne Is lucky enough TO be Chairman. OF a com
1mla'e th It d i tRe Of I'm t6mm 5a4@ t bss1 he gf Si'
sefs apart his tr9nt Easement N mt f oTf tRRis P1Tpos rs
some place more or less convenient, according
to his preconceptions on the rent subject.
saga Q O'Clock, HES the average Congressman
End there. at the desk. behind a great stack o
Letters. with notebook IN hand the Congress
over. and at a very brisk Gallop. too, by tn
honorable member and roughly assorted. Tt
some letters he dictates swe others, very
personal. he thrusts into his pocket; but thu
great majority, he losses over to his secretary
saying: You know what to do with these: yoI
know what to say to those" Then. with
glance at his watch, he rushes out on his cir
Snttous route, which. by way OF the hotels. thu
White House, the departments, the committe,
rooms. leads to the House at noon. pausinR
me here after adjournment. viii you: Their,
may be some things to attend tor And thu
task, for he. knows too well that there win b,
So many things TO attend TO that the one. par
tGular thing which he will have in mind. hi
dlnner, will have TO be neglected.
Augean task, with reference to n Congress
mans mail; Is old but. good. or course, boil
win the number OF letters received. In gen
erai Western Congressmen get the larges