Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-05-27
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Especial Washington letter.
"HE president having congress of
his hands, Washington has set
tied down to its humdrum vaca-
ton life and Is as quiet as a
duck puddle. simultaneously with the
going of congress the army of hangers
on also leave the capital. Altogether
an adjournment sine die probably de
pletes the population Of the finest cap
ital in the world by something like
5000 souls, and 1t is the finest capital in
the world, constantly becoming finer.
The mammoth buildings for offices
for house and senate soon to be erected
on Capitol hill will add much to the
appearance Of that portion of Wash
ington. The new city or District
building will add more, and, while dur
ing the summer the city will be duller
from political and social standpoint
than while the great congressional
SAoW was Az pAo6lSoSs WhSA SVh6IEpo
meets in December 1t will be in lar
ger and handsomer Washington than
even the one it left in April. Every
citizen of the republic is interested in
the nations capital and takes pride in
it, while wanderers from foreign lands
gaze upon its splendors with admira-
ton and awe. If George Warrington
and Major L'Enfant could return to
earth and gaze upon the city which
they founded and laid out they would
be delighted with their work.
Pub. Docs, Seeds and "sich."
AS relief from the overworked
problems of who will be the Democrat
tc presidential and vice presidential
nominees and of who will be the Re-
publican vice presidential nominee let
us turn once more to the really live
subject Of the distribution Of public
documents and seeds. have explain
ed 1t fully more than once, but will do
80 once more here and now. Every
body should cut this out, paste it In
his hat, display it publicly and commit
It to memory. Trying to save trouble
to Representatives and senator's? Oh,
yes, but trying to save both trouble
and expense to the people-those who
send representatives and senator's to
congress. How save them expense and
trouble? 1t is some trouble for any
body to write a letter. 1t costs about
3 cents to do SO, to say nothing OF the
loss In time.
The opinion is generally entertained
and frequently acted on that repre-
sentative or senator can get oil the
books, speeches, garden seeds, flower
seeds, etc., he wants free and can send
them free. Nothing is further from
the truth.
As to speeches delivered in house or
senate-his own or those of anybody
else-he gets none free, none whatever,
except the representative gets thirty
one copies free Of the daily Congression-
al Record containing the proceedings,
including speeches. Three of these he
needs for his own use-one at his resi-
dence, one at his desk in the house and
one to go into the bound volume. He
needs them for ready reference in serv-
ing his constituents. Senators have
about forty each. The representative
usually sends the few copies he does
not use to editors, libraries, etc.
Any speeches of his own or Of any
other senator or representative that he
gets the senator or representative must
pay for. But they are printed at the
government printing Officer Yes, II or
dered to be printed there and paid for
In advance. Instead of printing speech
es free for congressman and senators
Uncle Sam actually makes 2 per cent
proht-must do thunder law passed
by the senators and congressman who
are supposed to get everything free.
Wouldn't the average printer be glad
to have 2 per cent profit guaranteed
him by law, to be paid in advanced
The truth is that, although the gov
ernment has the type already set up
for the Congressional Record, the gov
eminent rate of printing speeches is SO
high that II representative or sena-
tor desires many copies Of speech
10000, say-it is cheaper to 60 to a
private printing Office and have the
work done-much cheaper sometimes.
Instead of speeches being free to rep
resentatives and senator's they actual
ly bring them out. in debt. Somebody
makes speech which the papers e1-
plot, giving only extracts. Letters
begin pouring in to representatives and
senators for copies. What do they dot
don't know. I know what I do.
go down in my pocket, fish up coin,
buy copy Of the Congressional Rec
ord for that date, costing from to 20
cents, according to size, and send It.
probably spend $50 (sometimes more)
year that way.
OF course, IL the senator or repre-
sentative whose speech is demanded
has had 1t printed in pamphlet form
he will generally furnish his fellow
members a copy; but, as rule, his
supply is out or he has never had 1t
printed in pamphlet form.
As to books and documents, each
representative or senator has a quo
ia, usually from two to ten copies.
When this quota is exhausted and he
wants more, he goes down into his
jeans, gets his own money and pays
the bill. In this way probably spend
from $50 year up.
With garden and flower seed 1t ID
much the same, except the quota is lar
ger, and by swapping books, docu.
ments, ETC., the number may be some
what increased.
I give my own experience because