Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-02

elected to the present Congress who served
term in prison for murder.
Every now and then propositions are
made to increase the length of represen-
tatve's term from two to four years. But
in this case sight is lost of the very funda-
mentals of the House,-that it shall always
be fresh from the people. George Washing
ton is said to have described the functions of
the House and Senate by saying that the
House was the hot cup of tea and the Senate
was the saucer in which it was cooled.
DURING Washington's terms as Presi-
- dent it was his habit to go frequently
to the sessions of Congress, especially the
House, where seated next the presiding off,
Ger. he would listen to the debates. 1t was
noticed that he did this oftenest when things
were not going to his pleasure, and the awful
majesty of his bearing and that extraordi-
nary authority in his eye, would to degree
overawe the House.
There is magnificent room at the Capl-
tol appropriated to the use of the President
1t is rarely, however, that a President visits
the Capitol more than twice from the day OF
his Inauguration until the expiration OF his
term. These two occasions are at the close
of the two Congresses in the presidential
term, when he usually goes to the Capitol
so as to save time in signing bills. But not
all Presidents do even this, some holding
that it leads to hasty legislation. President
Cleveland fatty refused to go to the Capitol,
and never set foot in it except at the begin
ming and end of his terms of office.
The Congressional Directory is book
giving the biography, or rather, the auto
biography of every member OF the Senate
and House, as these personal histories are
given by the Senators and Representatives
themselves. 1t is what the late Horace
Greeley would call mighty interesting
reading" 1t is supposed that the Senator
or REPRESENTATIVE shall furnish only the
story of his public life; but sometimes they
indulge in personal items. For example,
some years ago, Congress was convulsed by
the statement in the biography OF a Massa-
chusetts Representative, Married the only
daughter of James Russell Lowell" Vlr-
giria Representative, determined to explain
WHY it was he was not born upon the sacred
soil, proclaimed in print, "Was born in New
York, while his mother was on a visit to her
family A recent Representative thought
it iudicious to say in his biography, HAS
been married; but is now a w1dower."
THE evolution of Representative is Of
ten peculiar and interesting. Those
who come to Congress trained IN State Leg
islatures have the best chance of finding their
feet quickly Nevertheless, as leading
IcIIDtI VI plSSSHI Ooh6iS~'o SHPA 1870
it, "Tme is required for man to adjust
himself from the affairs of a big State to the
affairs of a nation of one hundred and four
millions of people
As representation is based upon one Rep
resentative to every two hundred thousand
population, it will be seen that the newest
and rawest Representative stands for a
really enormous constituency. He IS the
first man among two hundred thousand
people. If he comes from constituency
in which there are no large cities, his pay of
seventy-fve hundred dollars year, with
mileage, clerk hire, stationery, and few
other perquisites, appears large to him. If
he has any private means, and his income
aggregates altogether ten thousand dollars
a year, he thinks himself rich man.
When he comes to Washington, and
brings his family, there is painful disil-
lusionment on that point ahead of him.
Washington was formerly the cheapest Cap
ital in the world, and even now it is COM
paratively cheap among Capitals, and the
cost of living is not nearly SO high as in
New York and Chicago. But public man
is at many expenses, and has to maintain
two establishments, because it is fatal mis-
take to give up his home establishment
Many Representatives and Senators have
done this, to find themselves promptly un-