The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-24
HUMAN NATURE IN WASHINGTON
By FRED C. KELLY.


Doubtless there are many desirable
features connected with being United
States Senator" commented Represent
alive Carl Anderson. of Ohio. who re-
Gently announced. himself as a candidate
for Senator from that State, but We
over here in the House can at least be
thankful that We haven't any free bar
Der shop such as the government pro-
vides in the Senate wing. One would
have 10 tip the barber rather lavishly, in
view of the free provision, thus overcon-
ing any financial saving, and II anybody
from my district were to come down here
and find that the government had a man
shaving me free Of charge l couldn't
ever get enough votes again back home
to carry a single precinct
There are one or two things that Sem
ator Bristow would like to know. The
Senator had been trying to block the pas
sage of the omnibus claims bin in its
entirety because il contained a number
Of items Under the so-called French
spoliation claim that if passed would,
to his mind. make the government the
victim of robbery One item was for
5000 worth of silk stockings looted from
vessel on its way 10 Java.
Now, IL seemed 10 Brist0w 10 be bad
enough for the government to have 90
pay for 5000 worth OF stockings that
were started to Java away back some
where in the dim and gummy past. but
the thing that he wondered about was
what might have been the object of TAX
ing S5000 worth of silk stockings 10
Java. II did sound a lot like part OF the
plot Of an o. Henry yarn.
Senator BristOw has seen pictures OF
groups of Java residents, and il never
struck him that Java would be profit
able market for a man with 5000 worth
of silk stockings to dispose OF. So he
wonders and wonders,
Representative Stafford. of Wisconsin,
knows more about things of interest about
the Capitol than the average guide. Soon
after he came TO Congress, he made it his
business 10 go all over the building and
learn all that the guides could tell him
After the guide had impaired all the in
teresting information that he could think
OF. stafford started out on his own steam
and sought for still more knowledge. To-
day he may be regarded as as an author
ity on things to see about the Capitol
lie knows who painted all the big pic
lures in the room beneath the dome. whai
the people are doing in the pictures. and
Just where 10 stand under the dome 10 gel
the echo.
Stafford has found that il doesn't do any
/ harm 10 know all about the Capitol
Whenever anybody comes along from
/ home and he mentions casually q few
| things about the building that he wants
/ 10 take note of. or points out something
/ that the guide overlooked. u makes a
/ big hit with the constituent, who can see
without inquring further that Stafford
has had his eyes open since he's beer
/ down here.
Representative SABBATH. who comes from
Chicago. despite his name. is another mar
i.who has about attained the ne plus ultra
I Of knowledge concerning the United
! States Capitol He even knows where
/ the elevators are-and they're about tbs
most difficult things TO ind ia the whole
plant.
Senator Joseph Bailey, Of Texas, looks
| like a man who. il obliged 10 make z
choice, would prefer hfteen-baH pool L
bridge whist.
! And. as many around Washington vel
knew, he has steadily refused 20 ride il
automobiles. because he hates the things
/ As rule, he won't even ride through
the subway from the Senate office build,
| Ing 10 the Capitol in the autos that tbs
generous government has provided in an
/ cffcrt 10 save It's Senators from fsliins
4 into the hands Of chiropodIsts
/ What Bailey likes is a good horse. Hat
/ ing autos and loving good horses. then
as he does, il is little wonder that tn
| Senator was IN fun sympathy with tn
action of a horse owner down his way IL
Texas not long ago
| A family there had me- financial re
! verses. and about the only Things the