Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-10-20
CONGRESSMEN'S VACATIONS.
Scme Hunt er Fish, But Many Prac
tice Law or Mend Their Political
Fences.

The summer vacation of senator's
and representatives are not what
some people think they are. To the
average individual the senator and
representative "wC rks" six or seven
months one year and three months
the next. They are prone to doubt
whether he "works" at all, as they
have visions of him being tardy in his
attendance on morning prayers at
high noon and thend spending the bal
ance of the day swapping stories in
the cloak rooms and eating eXtrava-
CANT lunches with more or less mys-
terry as to the contents of his tea cup
And they are convinced that when
congress adjourns the national legis-
lators rush Off to the mountains. to
the seashore and to every variety of
vacation resort, there to lcll about in
luxurious ease or in Strenuous sport.
The fact is, says the Washington
Star, the man who holds seat in the
senate or the house of representa-
tiyes has as many things to think
about in the summer time that do not
smack of vacation ease. There are
only few of the men who hold these
lositions who have very secure ten
ure on their places, and the good old
summer time is largely devoted to
the mending of fences by many of
them. Nearly every man of them has
to convince his constituents that it
was utterly impossible to get that pub
lie building Or that river or barber
Improvement. They have to explain
to thousand men and women the
difficulties of securing public office
under the civil service system, and to
persuade them that they have done
all that mortal man could do in order
to promote their ambitions to serve
their country in seme job little bet
ter than they ever occupied previous
u,
that have to be discussed. and inter-
ests that have to be harmonized in
order to avoid disruption of the politi-
cal machine on the next election day.
Two years is an awfully short time
between political drinks, as every rep.
resentative in congress can testify
In these ways the vacation months
of many statesman are whiled away.
There is still another and quite as
exacting task to be considered by
many of these men who figure in the
public eye. Not a few of them are
hard pressed for money all the time.
Lxery two years their campaign ex-
penses have to be met, and it is not
unusual fer that drain ON their in
comes to consume half of what they
receive from the government In
year. For that reason the lawyers, es-
recially, expect to keep some sort of
connection with an office at home and
to make good in it during the vacation
months. They have partners who
keep the business running, and they
come into especially important cases
and lend their prestige to the entire
undertaking.
Other men have private interests
that are neglected during the time
they are in congress. They the bank
ers. real estate men, professional men
of all classes, and men of large inter-
ests of every kind. They have general
ly been accustomed to keeping in
touch with their business affairs, and
they feel uneasy when they leave
them for six months legislative duty
in Washington. When congress ad.
journs they have to take up the thread
Of their affairs and to straighten out
all sorts of tangles. Some of them
find that other men are gradually alb
sorbing their interests, and that their
presence at the capital was costly
honor.
But there are also a large class of
men who are enabled by the employ
ment of high-priced secretaries and
other assistants to attend to their con-
stltuents' wants and to keep in touch
With all their affairs without great
personal labor or Inconvenience
These men frequently drift away
from their legislative duties, and into
the al'urements of vacation days. with
out a care worth considering.