Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-09-20
coNcREssMEN's VACATIONS.
eon. Hunt or Fish, But Many Frac'
tice Law or Mend Their POLITICAL
Fences.

rha summer vacation OF senator's
and representatives are not "na'
some people think they are. 10 l"e'
average individual the senator anu
rasontativo "wGrks'' six or seven
months one year and three lio"'"'
the next. They are prone TO oo"o'
whether he "works' at all. as the!
have visions of him being tardy III MS
attendance on morning prayers at
high neon and thend spending the pal
once Of thp day swapping stories in
the cloak rooms and eating eNtfaNa-
cant lrncaes with more or less hlE"-
terv as 10 the contents of his tea cup.
And tley are convinced that when
congress adjourns the national legls-
lators rush off 10 the mountains, to
the seashore and to every variety OF
vacation resort, there to llll about in
luxurious ease or in strenuous sport.
The fact IS, says the Washington
Star. the man who holds a 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 a few of the men who hold these
lositions who have a very secure ten
ure on their places, and the good old
summer time is largely devoted to
the mendng 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 10 explain
to a 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 a little bet
.ter than they ever occupied previous
y. There are local faction fights, too,
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 aWIully 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 few of them are
hard pressed for money all the time.
Exery 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 a
year. For that reason the lawyers, es-
pecially, expect to keep some sort CT
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
csts 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 dut,
IN Washington. When congress ad
journs they have to take up the threaf
Of their affairs and to straighten ou
all sorts of tangles. Some of then
find that other men are gradually ah
sortlns their interests, and that thei
presence at the capital was a costl,
honor.
But there are also a large class O
men who are enabled by the emplov
ment of high-priced secretaries an,
other assistants to attend to their con
stituents' wants and to keep in touc1
With all their affairs without erea
personal labor or Inconvenience
these men frequently drift ava
from their legislative duties. and int
the allurements of vacation days will
out care worth considering.