Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-03-23

for doing In Washington IL he were fool.
fish enough to attempt 1t. And so he is
always glad-excesslvely glad-when the
time comes for him TO pack his bag and
take the train for washington at the be-
ginning Of sessions. to meet up with the
CHEEKY old crowd OF fellow representatives
in the hotel corridors, and all that sort
of agreeable thing.
BumbiinEs of the jolt.
Comes the day when he begins to worry
about his seat. Disturbing letters reach
him. Change is In the air In his district.
1t astonlshes him. II disquiets him. At
first he is not greatly alarmed. But the
letters from his intimates back home con-
tinue to come They are far from encour-
aging They suggest that he'd better
come back home and look things over.
He packs up and does so. Things look all
| right to him when he gets home. The
folks are as cordial and hearty as OF
yore Everywhere the hand Of welcome
Is held out 10 him
The older men, particularly the men he
grew up with from boyhood or young
manhood. are particularly hearty toward
him. They pat him on the back and tell
him that no matter what new-fangIed
notions these youngsters may be press
ing at their bosoms, they will stick. The
old fellows. talking confidentially with
the representative making the hurried trip
lively Of the younger element Of the party
the new organizations within the party
made up of the Kids" They brush aside
as unworthy OF consideration the candi.
dacy for congress OF the young chap who
is aspiring to the seat. They look upor
that young man as q mere child.
He is 10, but how can they look upon
known him since he trotted around with
his schoolbooks under his arm and q
passed. OF "swimmini freckles'' on his
nose7 And so the fears Of the representa-.
tive are allayed. He feels that the folks
simply won't go back on him. That would
be monstrous. II would be unheard Of
They couldn't do such q thing. There
are moments when he has a BIT Of a chill
when. depressed, he rejects upon what I;
would mean to him II his folks failed "a
send him back to Washington; how I,
would break up the habit Of his life, and
the relished routine. the rosy rut.
kneiI of Doom.
Comes election day. and the blow falls.
He is beaten at the polls. He Is a lame
duck. 1t is thunderclap. 1t takes him
days to understand II, much less realize
IT. He tried to philosophize, but that's
pretty hard to do. The tugs Of Washing
ton and the capitol are pulling at his
heart. Not to go back to Washington?
The thought OF II causes an actual ache
within the man long used to Washington
as legislator. He must 90 back. What,
stick at home in the duh old town twelve
months In the year. talking small talk
with the parochial professional men and
merchants. and to observe the Earring
familiarity in their manner Of address
ing him, now that he is an "ex," and not
an incumbent? Il Is grisly thought.
Moreover, generally he feels pretty sore
upon his constituents He feels abused.
They have outraged him Hasn't he served
hard for them7 He feels that they can
never be quite the same to him again.
He resents the way they have behaved
toward him.
Anyhow he simply cannot stay away
from Washington. II he can't have the
substance he will have the shadow. In
Washington he Will SUI Be called by. his
former title, even II lie Is former.
And he bankers for the air Of officialdom-
Beaten men, who have fought this feel