News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1899-12-27
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Jack" is Back on the Old Stomping
Grounds Again.
WASHINGTON. Dee. 20, 1899.


many grounds of mblance be
tween the two The colored popula-
tion is a connecting link, but they
wear rather more clothes here than
in the islands. Then again. the white
population do something else beside
drink whiskey and soda and lie
around in the shade. | am now re-
ferring to the floating white popula-
ton which gets elected to Congress
or secures a government snap and
comes here at the expense of the peO-
pie This element so occupied in
holding down its job and in making
speeches or in securing a pension for
or sending garden seeds to the folks
at home, that it don't have time to
take soda with its whiskey.
Seriously however, can't see why
a prosperous and comfortably stu
ated business man wants to come to
Congress. AS matter of fact it is
dogs lite. If member of the Lower
House anywhere near does his duty
or what is asked and expected of him
he is busy eighteen hours out of the
twenty-four answering letters and
running errands and attending to the
infinite details of the position Then,
too, he usually has to keep an eye
out for the fellows at home who are
working to put themselves 10 his
place. Every thing considered, he is
continually on the rack, keeping an
eye out in every direction at once,
and the prevalent idea that Con
CHEESEMAN'S life is a continual round
of glory and pleasure is a vastly mis-
taken one. The President is the SER
want and emplOye of untold millions
OfpeOple, aud next to him is the
Congr essman who is the letter writ
ing and personal solicitation target Of
from two to three hundred thousand
people, more or less. | have not re-
terred in the above to the members
of the Upper House, the Senators,
who are comparatively free frOmper-
sonal Fostering. They have their
troubles, OF course, but on the whole
the easiest and most desirable place
under government is that occupied
by United States Senator.
have thus far found the weather
here unusually moderate and balmy
for this time of year. No Indications
of snow yet, windows are open to ad-
NIT the sun-warmed air, and barring
the absence of foliage it is practically
summer. Many roses and other
flowers are in bloomin the parks and
wards of residences
Congress adjOurns Wednesday IN
til January 3 for the holidays, which
are observed here with continuous
festivities for ten days. The Senate
has done practically nothing thus far
except to revise its committees and
coil up for serious business when it
resumes aitarNew Years. As a mat
ter of course Senators Mason and
Pettigrew franticaIly seized the first
opportunity Of increasing if possible
their unpOpularity by ;ntrodu ing
resolutions tavOring the Philippine
insurgents and the Dutchmen in
South Africa, but both were prompt.
ly squelched as a matter of course
A Senator or private citizen or any
body else may sympathise with the
Beers, but an official declaration oil
sympathy by Congress would be a
branch of neutrality and an insult
and mortal affrOnt to England. To-
cidentally, let me remind the Boer
sympathizers ofthe fact that in Eng.
land-a monarchy-every man has a
vote as here, which in the Dutch Re.
public only one man in six is allow.
ed to vote. For this and other good
reasons it would seem as if sympathy
for the ignorant, unwashed and brut.
al Beers was largely misplaced; te".
tainly it is in the American Congress
The House proceedings have been
strictly confined TO the discussion o
the financial bill-which will have
passed by good majority before
this is ublisheG-With the Roberts
election case as a side sho ia a near.
by committee room. The SPEAK er'f
chair is occupied by different states
men, while Mr.. Henderson is busily at
work arranging his committees
He has them well along, and they
will soon be announced. Meanwhile
the members have no idea where they
are-going to land Or what sort of n
job they will be set to work on. AL
though some arguments almost ap.
preaching statesmanlike intelligence
have been evolved in the course Of
the financial discussion, yet it has
mostly been dreary rehash of cam
paign speeches and time wasted. As
matter of custom and courtesy a
certain time had to be given to the
subject, but not a vote was changct
and no one had an idea that one
would be. The speeches we're mostly
delivered to an empty hall, and wer,
intended to be printed and circulated
as campaign documents next sum
mer. Judge Powers spoke brit hy anC
to the point in support of the meas
ure, and, as he always is, was lis en
ed to by n good audience. TIL,
Judges concise and effective ARA,
OF facts wherever he speaks alwavr
commands close attention. HI
does not weaken his influence by fee
quent speaking and therefore is al
ways listened to with interest ant