Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1903-08-12
BEHIND THE SCENES
WITH A LEGISLATOR

Frank and | concluded to spend ouI
honeymoon in Washington. We want.
ed to inspect that beautiful city and
see and hear the prominent men as
sembled there. We gave up the first
few days to sightseeing, then spent
our time in the senate chamber and
house Of representatives. l was much
impressed with the dignity Of the sen.
ators. and some of the representatives
seemed to me to be very bright men.
The last day we were In Washington
found me quite fatigued. l had been
at the hall of representatives all day,
where a discussion on the tariff was
going on, and l was converted from
one side to the other a dozen times
About 4 o'clock in the afternoon we
went to the hotel, and Frank left me
that l might take rest before dinner.
In the evening we were to visit some
place Of amusement. Frank had
scarcely gone out before l heard a
step in the hall, and key turned in
the lock next door. Some one entered
tween the two rooms l could hear very
plainly. a mans voice said:
Belinda, get up. Do you propose to
keep your bed all dayp Are you not
aware that in political life wife has
a part to play as well as the husband?
Here l am pestered all day by con-
sttuents, every one of whom has an
AK to grind while you are dreaming
the happy hours away. Get up, l say.
and sew on this button"
Then a woman's voice:
"Jethro, you're brute. Didn't l
slave the life out of me when you were
running for congress, cookin' for the
whole county? Wasn't you always
bringin' folks home to dinner, and
didn't l have not only to cook for 'em,
but play sweet on 'em? And what do
git for it? Shet up here in this lone
some hotel while you strut about in
the lobby buttonholed by female con-
stituents, who play sweet on you to
get you to introduce bills for their re-
lief. And you fool enough to think
they love you"
There was no reply to this. The man
had evidently been convinced Of his
injustice and kept quiet. heard wa
ter running in the stationary basin and
some one washing.
Oh, DEAR Are Frank and l ever
coming to speak to one another like
this? And what a fraud political life
must be, after all!
"Belindar
1t was the man next door again. l
wished they would go out. had no
hope of getting a nap and would be
tired in the evening.
"Shet upr'
"Come out of that closet"
I'm dressin'"
"Dressin', ole gal! Do you mean
you've got to go into closet to put on
your stockings when there's no one
present but your lawful lord and mas
ter?'
The woman was evidently in the
closet, for her voice was muffled,I but l
could hear it distinctly.
You my lord and master! You'd
make a beautiful lord, and as for
master, you're a slave--a slave to your
constituents. You wouldn't dare COM
plain to one of 'em If he raped you
over the head"
I'll rap you over the head, you ole
JeZebel, If you say that again"
a slave-worse'n a slave, you're az
l heard one blow and a cry and COW
cred my head with the bedclothes. |
lay thinking what horrid couple they
were and what low people represent us
In congress. When took the clothes
ming tune. Every now and again
there came sob from the woman, but
he paid no attention to it, and she
seemed to be crying herself asleep.
l could not realizexthat the gentle
men l had seen during the day at the
capitol sitting in their seats and speak
ing, many of them SO learnedly, num-
bered among them even one who was
wife beaten. But here was perfect
evidence of 1t. Just think! In this
advanced twentieth century among our
legislators is practiced what is extinct
among the lower classes.
The brute went out presently and
when he did so locked his wife in the
room. listened, but heard nothing.
She was doubtless asleep and had for
gotten his horrid treatment. Frank
came in, and when told him about II
he was not surprised. But Frank IL
always talking about the low type Of
people engaged in politics. | dressed
for dinner. and we went downstairs.
In the evening we strolled out to
find some place Of amusement We
passed a variety hall. and, since as
girl l had been denied such places, I
begged Frank to take me in. We
listened to women sing songs and men
sing songs and people dance and saw
trained animals. Then man came
out and threw down some little dummy
figures. And what do you suppose
was the first word he said?
Belinda, get up"