Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-04-07
BY MILF SAUL.

- VOW would you like to be the
- congressman
You would not like It at ell
IL you knew what the Job
means.
The story Of a congressman's day Is
very like the story OF a section hands
day, in so rar as the labor IS concern
ed. OF course. there are intellectual
requisites about a congressmans Job
that are not expected OF a section
hand: but on the other side. the sec
ton hands Job has allurements that
are not attached to the congressman's.
For instance, he has moments he may
call HIS own. The congressman has
none.
The popular Impression of a con-
gresham pO-frays him as a person of
dignity and reserve, who does nothing
all day long but sit at a mahogany
desk and thinK up patriotic speeches
or speeches calculated to overthrow
the carefully laid plans OF the opposi-
ton party IN congress. If he has any
Idle moments from this pleasant pur-
suit. perhaps he Is looking up a soft
place for some OF his constituents, a
consular position or a $500 department
lob.
Let us see how far wrong the popu-
lar impression is.
Our dignihed and reserved congress-
man begins his day by rising from a
hasty breakfast to meet a delegation
Of visitors from his home district.
They are in Washington sightseeing.
He must act as guide for them, and
the very least he can do Is to conduct
them to the white house and introduce
them to the president. He IS a lucky
congressman who can escape with this
courteous act. Usually he Is invited to
show the party all through the public
buildings. the capitol and even the
Washington monument.
Our worthy representative, once free
from the office of guide, HES himself
to the postof1ice department. There
are free rural delivery routes to be
established in his district, and the Off
Gals insist on cutting of every other
mail supply In two counties in lieu of
the free delivery. He must have a
knock-down and drag-out fight with
them to prevent Il. So he walks across
town to get his muscles in good shape
for the fight. An hour later he energies
from the pOstofiice building. not bat
tered physically. perhaps. but mental
" upset and in no condition to prose-
cute his other duties of the day. BY
Informed that his most active support
er in the district has been fired from
office to make room for an appointee
Of the other party.
With these pleasant thoughts on HIS
mind he makes his way to the census
office. or TO the treasury. or, maybe.
the printing department. He has heard
that a dozen or more of his friends
in department positions are to be de-
capitated. The civil service rules have
been adopted in their divisions and
after Shaving for the government for
ten or twenty years. He makes a great
row with the heads Of the departments,
but as a rule he reaches the street
without having obtained an iota of
satisfaction. His friends must go.
Now our dignified and reserved con-
gresham recalls that Il is nearly noon.
the hour for roll call in the house of
representatives. He chases a street
car and. IL he is lucky he is only
bumped across town TO the capitol. He
is fairly begun on his days work.
A committee is considering one Of
his local bills. Two delegations are i'm
town to appear before the committee.
One wants the bin to pass. The other
wants IL killed. Both delegations have
already informed the Congressman in
directly that If he does not favor their
side OF the proposition they will go
back home ind beat him at the next
election. Maybe IL is only a bill to con-