The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-04-09
TOM MCNEAL ON CONGRESS-
MEN.

| small amount of space with the
announcement that the editor OF
this moral and agricultural guide is
likely to be a candidate for congress
That is very kind on the part OF the
newspaper reporters and the editor
ought to appreciate it more than ne
does.
There was time when the idea
of being a congressman would have
swelled him up a good deal, but
somehow or other at this writing II
causes no feeling of elation. 1t
occurs to us just now that we
probably csuldn't get the nomlna
| ion il we wanted it and that we
wouldn't particularly care for it II
we could get it. 1t may be that We
don't appreciate congressman as we
ought but we have somehow or
other imbibed the notion that the
average congressman doesn't really
cut so very much figure even at
home end that he cuts good deal
less at Washington.
We are told that even an elevator
boy will not stop his elevator fol-
congressman il senator happens to
be on. If for example, senator
starts at the bottom ia company
with 10 or IS congressman who
want to step at the second floor
while the senator wants to go to the
third or fourth floor, the elevator
boy will carry all the congressman.
past the floor they want in order to
accommodate the one senator. And
there happens to be senator at
the top who wants to 60 down to
the first floor the elevator carries
him down without stopping to &C
commodate. the congressman.
A Washingto: newspaper cores
pondent tells US that common ordl-
nary congressman are only allowed
: to attend a certain few of the presi-
dents receptions and they are the
ones that almost anybody can at
tend. When 1t comes to the real
swell receptions the ordinary con-
I gresham is barred.
Here is an extra session OF con
gress called for the purpose of fixing
up a tariff bill. What will the
e average member of congress have to
t say about that bill? Not thing on
n earth. He will not even have a
5 chance to amend the bill where he
S thinks 1t ought to be amended. IL
D he is a Republican he will either
I have to swallow what the half dozen
d men who fix tip The bill give him to
swallow or bolt the party aEd get
D clear outside the party lines. 1t is
D generally supposed that a few con-
7 gressmen really have written that
e bill. The real fact probably is thai
5 the bill was written by men who
q don't even belong to congress. 1t
T viii probably be labled the payne
BILL" but we doubt Payne's having
S written a single sentence OF the
! measure. Payne and few others,
however, have had some say about
e the shape in which the bill is pre-
Y pared but the average congressman
might as we'll be represented by a
phonograph set to vote aye or no
when the current Is turned on.
A Congressman draws a salary of
s., 500 per annum which isprobably
at least three times what his services
are worth. If he is wise he will
select some modest and comfortable
b )arding house where he can feed
ais face for a moderate sum, and
rent comfortable but not luxurious
quarters. He caa get along this
= way without spending much more
money than it would cost him to
live at home and cut Of the salary
of SIS per aAnum he caa salt
down about s.,
He will net cut nuch of q dash
in a social way bat then a csngress-
1 L. IL hl..a