The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-07-06

y; ;foym Every man with the slight
:, excuse for wearing uniform is
j g. ...,ved in one. Gray-headed and
i ss.M.beaded men with shoulder-straps
4 I'd ' Gilt buttons decorate che hotel
B -, .o,,;dors and street corners, and
suoe bloods with bicycle faces and
4 Adam apples as large as wishbones
q tint along the paveT ents, sporting
,,.;ded collars and sleeves. Some
j .e.r medley of meaningless medals,
j md others content themselves with
4 Grand Army buttons, insignia Of the
& Ioval Legion, or the modest bow-knot
q Il The medal of honor, the only official
b government decoration. But all are
4 IN Uniform. The war, State and navy
4 hu;ldipg is flooded with uniforms. By
4 ofscial orders all officers Of the army
4 Who are on duty in Washington are
a ,eourcd to appear in full uniform.
4 The letters "U. S. NJ" gu. s. A."
4 and III. S. w." are seen everywhere
j ON the horse cars, at the theatres,
n the restaurants, and occasionally at
! .be churches.
4 The private, with his blue shirt,
! ,louch hat and brown leggins, is in
4 evidence at every turn. His fayorite
-esorts seem to be the rotunda of the
! Capitol, the Congressional Library,
The White House and the National
/ Museum. He comes from the farm
] and the machine shop in States far
away, and is imbued with the true
spirit Of patriotism. In groups he
! #auders over the city, quietly con-
] templating the Capital of his country
! and silently measuring the Legislative
engineers who keep It's machinery in
motion. He is different from the
man who toys with the swogd-knot.
There is no self-oonsciousness about
him. He is absorbing information
that may be slowed away for future
use and comment. His gravity as he
vanders through the halls and corri-
doris Of the public buildings stands in
strong contrast with the sauntering
levity Of the commissioned officer, who
is usually accompanied by the Con-
gresham or Senator representing his
district or State.
Meantime the rush for commissions
and scholarship continues The Pres
ideut is literally hesieged every morn
ing by applicants, and the war and
navy officers are overrun with ardent
patriots seeking uniforms. Tom. Dick
aud Harry have the military fever,
and every known and unknown avenue
10 influence is crowded. Senators
enter the Capitol surrounded by these
political mosquitoes, and no penny
royal strong enough to stand them of
has yet been discovered. They come
in swarms from every State and Terri
tory, and tacle anything in the way Of
Congressional influence, regardless
Of personal claims OF political con-
slderations. Nothing daunts them in
their opportunities. They invade
restaurants, break into private CONVEX
sations, and disregard all the little
amenities of life in their efforts to
saw men of supposed influence. They
entirely overlook the fact that Repre-
sentatives are elected to represent the
interests Of the districts from which
they are accredited, and that each
applicant should confine his importu-
mites to the man who represents the
district in which he resides. They
proceed altogether or the assumption
that Congressman is the s'servant Of
the people," and that the word people
includes not only the Union, but
tanada and Patagonia.
10 other words, a Congressman is q
!aolic griudstone, to which everybody
las right to apply his axe. The
steady dropping of water will wear
away stone. and this applies to Con-
sressional influence. The man who is
auniversal servant of the people will
nod himself in sore straits, indeed,
'nen his influence is required TO ad-
vance the interests Of even we'll
known constituent.
one day in the experience Of fair
y prominent Representative will.
serve as an illustration of the
ua'iy pressure. His mail was thrown
upon his bed before he arose. He
.pened the first letter. It was dated
from town three hundredsmiles from,
.oe border Of his district. II read MS
follows:
!. My Dear - I have an intimate
.''end whc has .: friend ND who mas SON
ln.lay xub "a.