The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-05-23
WHEN A MANS IN CONGRESS



All over the land there are thousands Of
bright young lawyers, district attorneys
and iudges--the oracles of their commun-
itiee-Swho are dreaming, planning and
signing for seat in congress.
1t Is a gorgeous vision which is unfold
ed before them. They imagine them
selves rising in their places ON great
occasion on a glorious theme. holding
forth while senate and house and a surg
ing muluaude hang cntranced upon the
music OF their lips 1t is a delightful
dream, but, alas, it is only a dream.
Addresses delivered in the senate are
drowsy and lengthy. and are nearly al
ways spoken to empty benches 1t adds
TO the discomfort OF it all that eloquence
is resented IN the senate. Senatorial
harangues are generally in manuscript,
and are read with a monotonous twang,
heard but by few and by them most I'M
willingly.
There is more zest and interest in the
house. Under the operation OF the rules
debates in the house are limited, and ell
speakers are dsiven to the utmost con-
densation For the first and second terms
representatives, are expected to be heard
but seldom. A forward representative is
soon disciplined, and very frequently
there are many speeches made by the vet
Some notable exceptions there haze been
within the last decade, Mr.. Bryan al
ways commanded full house. Bourke
Cochran always addressed a swarming
congress and an ocean of hearers in the
galleries. Tho same is true of Mr.. Bailey
of Texas and Mi. Littleheld OF Maine, in
the present congress, but the rising Of an
ordinary member is the signal in the
house for retreat to the cloak rooms.
Nothing has ever been invented which
equals in solemn dullness the ordinary
and routine proceedings of the senate.
= -
Notwithstanding the brilliancy of the
dream. there is another and darker
side to it, A vast majority of senators
and representatives are lawyers. 1t IL
right and proper that they should be so
When elected they are generally in large
practice. Not long are they In congress
until their practice is gone, and when
any OF them are defeated they are in de-
spar. A few days ago met member
OF the house from a Western State, and
he unpacked to me buuget of woes sa-
enough to make the angels weep.
SAID he; "Old Ben Hardin Of Kentucky
once said that II he desired to punlsl
cruelty and irretrievably his worst en-
envy he would give him a saw mill oil
send him to congress. He was right as
10 the latter.
when l was in the full tide of my
practice" he continued, 81 can truthfullS
say that court houses were thronged tC
| hear me, ! imagined that If We're once
elected to congress that | would soon I'll
the speaking trump of fame ! was doing
lucrative practice. l was happy. My
wife and family were content. In society
they were leaders, though / can not say
that / was ever identified with it. ! wa!
elected. My constituency fondly dreamed
| that l would soon be heard of. When w
came on to Wasbin gton l was forced K
take up my quarters In, one of the numer'
Gus boarding houses OF this city, 1t take!
over half my salary Ito live--and such liv'
ing! | have not saved a dollar,
when arose to make my first speed
1 faced an audience OF exactly five persons
but I thought perhaps they did not know
me, and therefore | excused them. Suisse
quent experience has not Increased m!
opinion of my oratorical ability. At tn
end of the first term determined to stant
for reelection, and swore that at the EN-
OF my second term would return home anC
begin life anew. Like a drinking man,
could not swear Oft. have now serve,
my fourth term and have active opposition
for my next, AS soon as my determination
was made TO run Tor reelection this tim
l gave 1t out In a published letter. Imme
diately l gas announced by 100 papers 4
my district. This was done without m,
knowledge and against my consent.
Each announcement was followed by
draft In most instances for $40 and II
some for SIS. My district swarms will
small, crossroads weekly newspa
pers, which, as Horace Greeley, said; God
for some iuscrutabe reason or purpose
permits to exist Every time l made
speech II was noticed editorially and aloni
came another draft.
I'm my last race when I had no opposl
ton my unauthorized announcements il
the country press cost me 500.
Then every members constituency is
perpetual source os worry and yexation t
him. | am pestered out OF my wits b
their impossible requests, or demands,
should rather say. Now here is lette
addressed to nue. as seed distributor. Jus
listen. Please send me a half bushel Q
onion, a bushel OF Mediterranean wheat
three bushels Of OATS and five packages q
OLD italian rye. and see in the Chris
tian Advocate that there is a new Japanes
plum which 1 understand is a fine Trims
Send ME half a peck OF them
Another writes me that he wishes
would have his son appointed a notar
public in my State by the president. .
friend of nine, member from Souther
state, received letter the other day fror
an aGmiring constituent enclosing him
cut Of a sixteen-shot Winchester rife an
requesting that gun OF that kind be sen
70 him as he was going bar hunting RICH
away in an adjoining state. Another frien
of mine received a letter a few days ag
from che OF his influential constituent
asking him to send his Smiths onion re
port This friend OF mine went throug
all the departments. but could find no sue
report when II suddenly occurred to hir
that what his constituent wanted was
Smithsonian report.
~
"A Georgia member received letter tn
other day from one OF his friends asiin
him to send him a saddle; another one re
celyed a letter from the head of one OF II
oranges telling him that he had fin
fiddle which he wished he would sell fc