Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-28
Click of Monographs in House
Office Building Tells of the
Campaigns Approach.
LETTERS FLOOD THE NATION
Each Party Has Big Machine for
Use of Its Members Who
Seek Reelection. :
BY SIDNEY EsPEY.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-The
click and purr OF mimeograph ma
chimes in the House ONCE Building
proves beyond a doubt that another
campaign Is approaching. Walking
down the corridors OF the structure
where the members OF the House OF
Representatives have their offices, one
hears the steady grind of the mimeo-
graph, manipulated by some young
woman or boy who is engaged at
so much per to turn out letters for
my Congressman"
Over In the majority room there Is
larger mimeograph, driven by cleo
tricity. This is available for the use
OF members who have no machine Of
their own, but who want to send out
thousands Of letters to their constltu-
entR
During the off years, so called, the
member OF Congress isn't the letter
writing busybody that he is when the
campaign is only few months off
Last winter and spring the mimeo-
graphs and typewriters were compar-
atively quiet and the member con-
tented himself with answering the
daily mail and writing an occasional
personal letter to some political
henchman.
Members Getting Busy.
The 1914 elections, however, will
be coming along next spring and
summer and the House member is
getting busy. Everybody in the
House must stand for election every
two years and almost everybody
wants to come back, once a taste of
Washington life is had Consequent
ly, the ambitious politician doesn't
hesitate to use the ranking privi-
lege and the Monograph to keep n
touch with the fellow with the votes
Hundreds of thousands of docu-
ments and letters are going to be
sent broadcast from the House Office
Building in the next six months
Scores OF members are already at
work getting up campaign material
in their own individual interest and
in the interest of the particular party
to which the letter writer happens to
belong.
It would be almost impossible for a
member OF the House to write a per-
sonal letter to every voter in his dis
trict and to keep up the correspond
ence. Consequently, the average
member OF the House gets out stock
letter about this period OF the cam
paign. has 1t Autographed and then
writes in at the top, in the same type
and ink so that the entire letter may
seem personal the name and address
Of his constituent.
Many of the wise" constituents
know that this letter is merely cir
cular, sent to every voter in the dis
trict Others cherish the epistle from
my Congressman" and proudly ex-
hibit it about the family circle.
Each Has Different Form.
Practically every member has
different form of letter which is used
for stock purposes. For instance, the
member who comes from a district
where there are many veterans will
talk of the prospect of pension legis-
lation. Another who halls from an
agricultural district will ask If the
constituent doesn't want a few
seeds or farmers bulletins issued by
the Department Of Agriculture.
Still another member who halls
from a union labor district will dis
cuss labor legislation, pointing out
incidentally that he, the member, IS
endeavoring to push this or that bill