The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-29

want, wants to sell piece OF ground to the
! lighthouse board. and straightway he
iotlneS the congressman to lock after
MS interests A shipper of oleOularga-
Ili'e mas been caught marking his
packages contrary to law; please take
up my case with the solicitor of the
| treasury. You are on the ground and
can do II better than l." A contractor
/ mas heard that a new public build
ing IS to be erected; he sends a letter
post haste to the congressman aslxiu,
mat he be kept informed about the
matter. and adding that he would ap-
preclate set of the plans. Somebody
mas private claim against the gov
eminent that has hung fire for years:
| the representative is confidently ex-
pected to take up the claim and push
] fees.
Also. every business man, every man
ufacturer, every importer. every Shin
per, everybody engaged in gainfuI oc-
cupatlon, expects his congressman TO
nave an eye single TO his interests. TO
( XIII this bill for him. or put that one
I through, not one stopping for a mo-
ment TO think out the logic of the situ-
alton, but each and every one advanc-
ing some such reason as this: I'll have
; my savings wiped out if this tariff
schedule is done away with and NV
business broken up besides. and 1 will
IN ADDITION to all these individuals
VINO have to be given the services free
gratis for which a lawyer would
charge round fees. there are uumer-
Gus delegations to be handled with
gloves. Delegations are like weeds
Give them the least excuse and they
spring up luXuriantly, instantly let
their representative know that they are
coming on, drop the matter then and
there and thenceforth hold him respuu-
Eaae E,sTr
mission As result the REPRESENTATIVE
has frequently 10 sit up nights ar
ranging special committee meetings To
get the delegations the hearings they
want, and the interviews demanded
with president and cabinet members.
This is no easy task 1t REQUIRES
hours Of running about the city to get
hold of members of various commit
tees and subcommittee ana then tc
induce them 10 meet. and not a few
hours are spent in ante-rooms waiting
on the pleasure Of the secretary of the
treasury. the secretary of the interior
or other important heads Of govern
ment-
The delegations have all sorts Of
schemes and measures to further or
Illustrate. They make il plain that
their representative is to be their
mainstay in all their battles. and fot
his own protection he is compelled TO
spend many weary hours Gigesting
statistics and absorbing the history CE
similar previous efforts and I'm every
possible way equipping himself for the
tray both in committee and in the
house. For example if a New York
City representative has been called
upon by his constituents to get more
money for improving the harbor. he
perforce must study up the history OF
harbOr Improvement from the begin
ming and in all its ramificatiOns. in
order that he may be able TO cope in
diligently with that bureau head
who VIII undoubtedly be called on by
the committee TO combat more or less
openly his fight for the appropriation
All this knowledge is usually gained
somc time between s o'clock at night
and 1 and > o'clock in the morning.
From till IL in the morning the rep
resentative is busy looking after his
correspondence, running errands and
holding briefs for his constituents.
Then he goes to his committee meet
ings. is not without his troubles there
takes his seat in congress at high noon,
remains in it till 4, and while trying to
following the business of the session is
constantly being pestered by lobbyists
and others who do not hesitate to send
in their cards and TO demand and
what is more to the pOint-Obtain the
Sought-for audiences. Frequently he
makes a speech, on the preparation Of
which he has to spend the lights of an
entire week and he has some lobbying
TO do himself, but taken all in all this
IS the most reStful period of the day.
The moment the sessions adjOurns
the strenuous life begins again III grim
earnest. There are more errands for
both representative and secretary to
run, fresh mail to answer, any number
of men to deal with who are looking
for positions in the departments, and
twice as many women TO placate who
are on similar missions and camp on
their victims trail day and night, and
give no heed to the Anglo-SeXon tradi-
ton which holds that every mans
house is his castle They scOrn shut
doors, and that is why your representa-
tive and mine, when he Is seated at
dinner in the bosom Of his family, is
liable to behold a widowed applicant
for a clerkship appear suddenly before
him and make her lOng-winded and
fearful plea. Many congressman have
endeaVOred in various ways 10 reserve
a part Of the day to themselves and
their own, but they have invariably
realized the futility of doing so. The
late Amos J. Cummings would never
set down his address in the Congress
sional Directory. yet every afternoon
that he entered it he found his parlOr
crowded with visitors.
Surely there is neither space nor
hope of peace for a representative
worth his salt He is the peoples
servant at all hours; he is ever at their
beck and call; and when, after a nerve
racking day of sixteen hours. he has
just sought his bedroom mayhap the
door bell clangs brazenly and a voice
announces. as the weary mans head
appears at d second-story window;
Hello. jim! Recognize my voice2
That's right, by gunhl Just got to
town and thought you'd be glad TO see
me. My. you're good sight for sore
eyes. JIM And now I'll tell you all
about Mirandy and the home folks
fore we turn in. Guess you don't get
much home news way of here, do
you?''