Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-05-13
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Especial Washington letter.
- HE senate of the United States
likes to lap itself in luxury.
~ There are only ninety senators,
yet they have half of the COM
mittee rooms in the capitol and all of
the Offices in the Maltby building.
Some years ago the Hon. Thomas B.
Reed said the clerks were so numerous
in the Maltby building that they were
causing the floors to sag down by their
weight. While the ninety senators had
all these rooms in their half of the
capitol and the entire Maltby building,
the 1856 members of the house had
nothing but one-half Of the capitol.
Wearying of this, during the last con-
gress the house voted itself an Office
building to give each member room
for the transaction Of the public busi-
ness Now comes the senate and In
sists that, in addition to its half Of the
capitol and all Of the Maltby, 1t shall
have companion building to the one
being erected for the house. What
they will do with all OF these rooms
nobody seems to know.
OF course both senators and repre-
sentatives should have oil the room
necessary for the transaction Of the
peoples business, of which they have
great deal that cannot be transacted
In the house. Two-thirds Of the work
actually done by senator or repre-
sentative is done outside Of the legis-
lative chamber. Their preparation for
the work in house or senate is really
done In their residences or Offices.
Many members Of the house are now
renting office rooms here and there
over the city In order to have place
to work. They and their secretaries
And that 1t is no snap to intend merely
to the correspondence from the district
at home, involving as it does the re-
ceipt Of scores Of letters every day,
very few of which can be properly an
swered by simple reply. There are
requests for all kinds Of governmental
publications to be obtained from the
various document or folding rooms OF
the capitol or from the bureaus or de-
partments of the government. There
are pension cases to be engineered
through the pension bureau or through
congress-; there are claims for bounty,
back pay and land warrants, requests
for all kinds Of garden seed, flower
seed, new shrubs and plants, for In
formation along thousand lines. Much
Of it is urgent; much is of serious i'm
portance and calling for the exercise
~ 1r5 ~,
DDS, and it never slackens for more
than twenty-four hours at time. An
other growing source Of labor is the
rural mail delivery. Some routes re-
quire dozen trips to the postoff1ce de-
partment and the writing Of forty let
ters. For the purpose Of getting through
with this mass Of work and detail
congressman needs the best facilities,
the most convenient quarters. It is to
the interest Of the people, whose work
they are doing, that they should be well
prepared to do the work.
Unele Joe.
That Hon. Joseph g. Cannon Is a
popular man is known Of all the world.
That he is personally the most popu-
lar of all the speakers Of the house is
altogether probable. His lines have
indeed been cast in pleasant places.
His popularity among members is re-
markable when it is remembered that
for twenty-eight years he served on
the floor, always in the thick of the
aght, and that he knocked and was
knocked, mauled and was mauled,
skinned and was skinned, as much as
any member, except that he was very
hard to skin, maui or knock. He has
been central figure in many Of the
hottest and aercest battles ever pulled
of In the house. OF course he bears
many scars and he has SCARED many.
But at last he was unanimously elect
ed speaker by his party, carrying into
the chair the friendship and respect of
the minority. In his high place he has
presided with such fairness and such
kindness, has exhibited so much COM
mon sense, that when Mr.. Williams,
the Democratic leader, arose In his
place April % and offered resolutions
thanking htm-an unusual proceeding
at the close Of the long session-every
member voted for it without mental
reservation; not only voted for 1t, but
did so standing up. The applause was
deafening and from the heart, and 1t
went to the heart Of Uncle Joe.
It was dramatic scene worthy Of
perpetuation by master hand on his
toric canvas. Hon. James d. Rich
ardson Of Tennessee, the Democratic
ex-leader Of the house, the highest
Mason in the world, was called to the
chair. Mr.. Williams offered this reso-
luton:
Resolved, That the house Of representa-
tives return its thanks to Its speaker
Hon. j. G. Cannon of Illinois, for the fair
and impartial and able manner in which
he has presided over It's deliberations and
Tor the sturdy common sense and genial
good humor which have been displayed
by him and which have induced the mem
bers Of the house itself, In a degree al
most unprecedented. In imitation of him,
to display the same sterling American
characteristics in their deliberations and
mutual dealings.
Then Mr.. Williams said:
Mr.. Speaker. 1t Is a great thing to be a
speaker OF the house OF commons of the
American republic. It Is greater thing
yet not to permit the fact Of promotion
to that place. one OF the most exalted In
the world. to turn ones head in tho
slightest degree or to defect one from
course hitherto pursued-that of q plain,
unassuning American citizen. with ex-
raordinary common sense and remark
able fund Of that most characteristic Of
Ill American qualities. sense Of humor.
once had conversation with the