The Washington herald., 1914-03-17
THE NEW MEMBER.
BY EMORY J. HAYNES.


hotel" he narrates naively. "and looked
away to the splendid pile of the Capi
itol, where was to be shortly in at
Tendance, with the thought, SO | am q
lawmaker Frequent visits to that
Icity for years had never taken me ur
those marble steps. My uppermos'
Thought was far from the sublime. II
constantly ran through my head, I won-
der how they do It here?"
This quiet, brainy man of success ir
business mingled in the lawmaker crowd
He was accustomed to recognition
among men, and that many men knew
and accosted him was no new expe-
rience.
The first unexpected sensation was
the every day, common place aspect oi
the gathering. This was not Mount
Olympus, nor were these demigods. The
task of lawmaking seemed only an ordi-
nary days work. No one showed awe
nor reverence, though many showed
awkward hesitancy. There was much
standing around, hat in hand, with the
question writ all over their faces, place
me- Here / am" This feeling was a
Edominant one for days. A few were
evidently already placed. They came
there placed, they were old hands at i,
and were ready'to place other men,
showing a smiling superiority as they
patronizingly offered to place new
conner.
He shortly became aware that he was
ticketeG, that handful of the old oper-
ativcs in this lawmaking factory
spotted" him. and had him on the list. "
He frequently exposed himself to these
few TO ascertain just what was being
planned to do with him. And little by
little their intentions began to leak out
to him. But for the most part he was
unimportant. This wearied him, as be-
ing a boys play business and a Grass
waste of time for a busy. forceful man
OF affairs such as he had always been.
He was but a marble in a game, and
it never seemed to come his turn to be
PLAYED.
The power that ran this factory-my
friend was a factory owner-came in
from far away The power was in the
yr;pJ apJ E,F,I ILL ,ho ,,.;,J. Sa,,o
times one felt this demand OF the peo-
pie; sometimes there was no demand.
no popular wind. Then boss made a
wind, as on a sultry day one uses a
fan. You could tell the difference. In
either case the new lawmaker felt that
he was a feather held up TO show which
way the wind blows.
He was not expected to be judicial
not an originator. He was just record
er of influences. He was a mere vote
He was by no means to take the State
in hand de novo, and devote his intel
ligencc with conscience to making the
needed new law.
There was always fear of making
himself absurd, ridiculous. foolish. Ridi-
cule is deterrent. He would not cx-
pose himself to be laughed at in trying
to mend and patch the State. He had
often wished that he was king for a
day. Now he was an elected king for
two years But it is different. dreaming
OF being panoplied with power, and
trying to use it when you have it.
There were so many other kings all
about him. smoking and putting their
feet up on mahogany chairs in commit
tee rooms. and slipping down to cafe.
and doing through sessions, a room
full of lawmakers was generally absurd.
And he felt himself TO be absurd in
spite of his best endeavor
There was one thing that seemed fit
ting-his small salary. For he was do
ing less than two of bis own employees
to whom he paid as much. That is, in
money. But he did not come here for
money. His.recompense was to be the
patriotic sense of usefulness to the
State. He was little useful Therefore,
the pay in conscious patriotism was
small. He often yawned and stretched
his legs under the costly table. and
wished he was back at work among men
who arc in earnest-the other manu-
facturers.
This strong man did make himself
felt. 1t could not be otherwise But,
being no politician, he only spoke for
himself He could not set up the
cards" He could not count noses and
match votes. He was genial. attractive
and made friends from boyhood But
lawmakers do not get together on that
basis. Policy. as the gain. is the basis
in capitals since the world began. This
man had no regard for policy. And
he had got all his gain from another
factory, far away
The decided majority of mis- asso-
ciates were quite his equals in moral
probity and pure patriotism. They had
dreamed it would be a pleasant honor
to be elected. But they did not wish to
return. They felt the ENHANCEMENT of
the ropes of the managers.