The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1906-09-05

| painting is In need of a shelter, the
Podunk congressman finds place for
it on the walls of his committee room.
Some of these paintings are the work
of American masters, for which Con-
gress paid as high as $4,000. They
represent inspiring scenes from the
national history, artfully calculated to
arouse the smoldering fires of patriot
ism in the breast of the man from
Podunk.
At home, in Podunk, the elect of his
fellows is ready to drink out of tin
dlpper, or even from the old oaken
bucket. But at the capitol he finds
that Apolinaris, White Rock, Great
Bear, and half a dozen other mineral
waters are necessary, His secretary
draws literally on these supplies,
which are paid for, of course, by the
treasury. They are placed in refrig
orator, with plenty of ice, and during
the hot summer months are consumed
in enormous quantities. The general
public" discovered long ago that eX-
pensive mineral water was free at the
capitol, and many thirsty hanger-on
regales himself at the public expense.
Sometimes the wife of the member
from Podunk wishes to shine a little
socially, at small expense. Then he
works the graft of the botanic gar
dens. After the dinner, Mrs. Podunk
enhances her reputation for charity by
sending the flowers to the poor In
the course of winter influential legis-
lators sometimes obtain thousands of
dollars worth of flowers from the gov
eminent without expanding a cent.
Medicines Furnished Free.
If the feast of good things should
upset the Podunker, he languidly
touches the bell at his desk, and sends
his faithful colored messenger to the
sergeant-at-arms. with request for
some medicine. The sergeant-at-arms
keeps himself solid with the law
makers by looking after their bodily
health In order to do this he must
have good assortment of drugs, and,
of course, the government foots the
bill. There are pills galore, bromo-
settler, quinine, calOmel, and a hun
dred other remedies prescribed by ply
sicians. If a member should be seri-
ously and suddenly i'll, there is usually
among his colleagues practicing ply
sician, who prescribes for him-at gov
eminent expense.
All members of Congress enjoy the
courtesy of the telegraph and tele-
phone companies - that is, they can
send messages free anywhere in the
United States. 1t is a common rumor
that telephones are furnished to mem
bers at their residences at reduced
rates, and sometimes free. OF course,
they are entitled to newspapers, which
are delivered at their homes and paid
for by Uncle Sam. Occasionally a
senator Idh6S d llhlIAS W q AAoS"NAAO
and has it sent to his house. But the
bill goes to the capitol and is paid by
the good-natured sergeant-at-arms.
AS the session draws to close the
Podunk statesman finds he has made
a number of good friends among his
colleagues, and it pains him to think
that he must be separated from them
for several months while he is plod-
ding away in his dingy law office at
Podunk. SO a junket is arranged,
either by special Pullman train or by
special government steamer, for the
purpose of inspecting" the Wild West,
or Porto Rico, or the Panama canal.
These junketing trains and steamers
are luxuriously furnished, and the SER
geant-at-arms has charge of them, see
ing that the members are treated to
the best food, wines, cigars, etc., that
money will buy.
Future Full of Promise.
When the new House and Senate
palaces are completed there will be a
better opportunity for the sergeant-at-
arms to carry out his plans for the
comfort of the lawmakers. He is
cramped now, but then he will have
everything handy. In the first place,
each member will then have a stately
office. fitted with new mahogany fur
niture, costly rugs and paintings.
There will be four hundred and ten
of these offices in the House palace,
and the Senate palace will contain
ninetv-nine suites of two rooms each.
A senator's office will be sixteen by