Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-01-08
FROM WASHINGTON.
Congress Getting Down to Business
Names Delegation Active.

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Congress Getting Down to Business
--Maine's Delegation Active.
WASHINGTON. Jan. s (spseiai)-If the
federal capital had an almanac on the
lines OF the old farmers pamphlet with
which every Maine man and woman is
familiar, there would be for January a
prediction something as follows; "Abcut
this time look for Congress 20 rsconvHne.
after having played through December
and taken long Christmas holiday. 1t is
about the time of year when Washington
forgets its reputation of being very lazy
town.
And this year the prediction would come
true, because some 800 men senators
and representatives-are giving an imi-
tation of applying themselves to their
severa, stunts. Some OF them fly around
as though they had the responsibilities of
the government upon their shoulders.
Generally those are the men who have
little else to do but sit in their seats
and vote. They don't always do that.
Probably there will be q general slacaen-
ing in the course of week OF two. bat
Just now everybody, fresh for the task, is
helping make the big city hive OF in
dustry.
The few grand old men OF Senate and
House, who really make the wheels OF
legislation go round, are not the busiest
so far as appearances go. As matter OF
fact, the man who rules the House and
the man who rules the Senate are past the
SEVENTEEN milestone. Speaker 'Uncle
Joe" Cannon was born sIay7, 1886. Sem
ator Hale. of Ellsworth, the leader OF the
Senate, was born June 8, 1895. But with
out making any fuss, both Of them attend
to a vast amount of business daily. Their
respective branches of Congress would be
out of joint, did not these men appear ''on
the job" every morning.
Mr.. Hale has been here resting all dur
ing the holidays, but as a matter OF fact
has been pretty busy all the time. Other
big men OF the Senate g away from time
to time. MIR. Hale is most constant in his
attendance. Among other things he has
been framing up currency reform bill
during the last two weeks, which will
come very close to being the bill that
Congress will enact into law during the
next two or three months. His sons and
their families have been here, and so there
has been happy Christmas gathering at
the senator's residence.
ALI the Maine men in Congress here are
now well occupied. All have had several
terlas OF service, have been constantly ad-
vancing in influence in Legislative coun-
ellis. Hence when there is something to
do. they are less likely to have TO sit with
folded hands and wait for others to shape
up the preliminaries.
Representative Burleigh, like his three
colleagues of.the Pine Tree state delega-
tion in the House, is industrious in dis
posing Of the volume OF routine tasks that
confront every member of the House. He
is now settled down at his residence on
Vermont avenue, after having spent the
holidays in Maine. His mail is brought
to him there every morning from the
House postoffice. A big wagon, with the
House OF Representatives printed on each
side in big letters, drives up to his door
early and a messenger hands in the bundle
of letters and papers delivered to him.
Similar wagons are driving up tothe doors
Of many other congressional residences,
and messengers are handing in similar
bundles of letters in numerous parts Of the
city about the same hour. Some of the
law makers prefer to see their mail first at
the capitol. Gov. Burleigh likes TO look
over his letters after breakfast, and after
he has SKINNED through the morning
papers to learn the news.
Three or four mails a day reach Wash
ington for the congressional contingent.
Gov. Burleigh receives nearly all OF his
at his residence. Before he starts down
town in the morning he has generally
dictated answers to all of them that can
be answered forthwith. Others are put
aside till some information asked for can
be obtained, or some action requested can
be determined. The Maine members are
all very prompt in answering communica
tons from their constituents; none more
prompt than the third district represen-
tative.
In the old days, before private secre-
taries were provided, members used to
answer many letters while sitting at their
desks in the House. Then autograph let
tiers from a Congressman were the rule.
9
man sitting at his desk in the House an
swering his correspondence, and an auto
graph congressional letter is the excep-
ton. Three or four hundred ty pewriting
machines, scattered about in residences,
committee rooms and offices are Gathering
through the day, turning out the many
thousands OF letters which the mails are
carrying back TO voters all over the
country.
Representative Burleigh's inside coat
pocket is receptacle for a goodly num-
Der of the letters that come to him. Those
are letters which cannot be answered of
hand, but must be looked up. He usu-
ally starts out by 10 o'clock, or soon
thereafter, and the package of letters in
his inside pocket determines very largely
what course he travels for tine next hour
or Two. He has never objected to being a
congressional GRAND boy, although some
Congressman balk at running around the
departments and using the telephone for
the accommodation of their constituents.
There are committee meetings generally
one or two mornings of every week that
take the Maine members to the capitol