The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1907-01-04
JACK HARRIS WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON 70 90 ,O6


Though work has shut down on
the legislative job until next
Thursday, yet the Congressional
ZOO contains quite few animals
who did not lose their grip on
their jobs during the two weeks
vacation. Many members of the
House and quite a few senator's
are putting in a few hours daily
in their committee rooms, and
only a little less than the usual
number of clerks and messengers
are fitting through the dimly
lighted corridors. The two weeks
vacation left a large amount Of
work piled up ahead, and many
committees, or parts of them, put
in long hours catching up with
the accumulation of business and
clearing the desks for action
against the time when the SEES
sions will be resumed and they
will be expected to show up in
their seats.
In respect to vacations, mem
bers of both branches of Con
gress are much like other people.
Some wont work when they are
not actually compelled to, while
others look further ahead and
make is easier for themselves by
doing little every day. The So
cial life of the town is responsible
for much neglect Of duty and loss
of time, though a mans dislike OF
the confinement incident to close
attendance and work has much to
do with it. The Weather mem
bers, especially if they have am
bilious families, frequently feel
it desirable to lengthen the nights
by shortening up the days in
needed repOse and retirement.
When a man has to live on his
salary of $13.70 a day, which
must cover all personal and fam
ilv expenses, he can't afford the
frills and creme de menthe OF
saisiety and so has time and IN
cIinatiOn for hard and regular
work. The $1,000 a year salary
of a representative or member OF
the House amounts about to the
above per diem the year round.
He can live on it all right at home
and save something beyond cur
rent expenses, but here, even with
the strictest economy, 1T vanlshes
like a government appropriation
I have known of few instances
where bachelor members Of either
house actually lived here ana
saved a good sum each month
from their salaries. | remember
years ago a senator from a west
ern state slept, ate and did many
other things in his one little room
over a grocery store. He did not
indulge in mixed drinks, contlnlng
himself to the plain, old fashioned
straight drinks of the fathers Oh
tbe republic, and in the room OF
a sideboard covered with cut
glass decanters, kept his corn
Juice in jug with a cob in 1t IN
fbe closet. In this way and IN
cidentally winning at poker, he
finally retired with a very com
Portable wad. 1t may be done now,
in rare instances, but | am not
personally aware of them.
When-speaking theoretically
and not wishing to be understood
for = moment as insinuating that
ANYTHING of the kind actually
haDpens-a member or Senator
closes up a long and tedious days
work at the Capitol at D ~ p IN,
then goes home, eats a light an
nor looks over the evening paper
for ten minutes and is then nus
fled into a dress suit for the
theatre or a dinner at the Nnlle
House or elsewhere, he mas
mighty little time to mediate on
infractions of the constitution. 1t
is midnight, OF. considerable
LATER when he finally reaches home
With his wife and daughters, ana
when he arises in time for a very
late breakfast there may DE
navy blue blue taste, shading into
cernlian, in his mouth. This may
or NAV not be caused by the blt
Of lobster salad which he thought
lessly ate. Anyway, he don't feel
much like combating with the
other animals in the legislative
arena.
The poor legislator, on the other
hand. is largely removed from
temptation and late hours by
necessity. Hence the virtue OF
povertv. He has time to give
thought to his duties, and can
reach his committee room at the
Capitol at 8 a. m. sharp. HIS
only danger is his landlady. TINS
in a financial sense. knowing
that his income is S13.7O per,
she charges accordingly, regard
less of accommodations afforded.
Her object in making a price Tor
his hoard is to take every SOU
markee he has except possibly
scant dollar a week for laundry,
nlug tobacco and a daily paper
That is the inevitable and invari-
able iron-clad rule of every land
Iady in Washington. She ascer-
tains what a patrons salary is,
and then levies on % per cent OF