Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-19
UNCLE SAM, ESQUIRE
Third House Of Congress.

, are hundreds of other business details
all important to the citizens most
! concerned that are adjusted by the sec
rotary. But the people give credit to
the congressman.
| An amusing incident showing further
powers Of the secretary occurred not
many years back in the case Of a
! United States senator. His election was
surprise Tho sturdy and consci-
entious citizen he had not been con-
sidered exactly senatorial timber" But
he was selected by party caucus and
subsequently elected by the legisla-
ture in his state. He arrived in Wash
ington we'll fitted to care for every de-
mand that might be made upon him
except one. His tongue became palsied
every time he got on his feet to speak
| Some months had elapsed after con-
gress had convened and yet the senator
had made no effort to speak on the
floor Of the senate. Friends prevailed
upon him to make try as the folks
at home expected it of him. He labored
for days to get his courage up to the
sticking point. One day he arose. He
spoke. The senate then, as always
was respectful.
| The other senator from his state
slipped to the old sentleman's secre-
tary and rema rked Elk it up. In
Heavens name fix it up. Never let it
get into the Record the way he de-
livered it."
! The secretary acted on this advice
when proofs of the speech were pre-
sented for correction previous to the
printing in the Congressional Record.
With the germinal ideas Of that speech
| he wrote classic.
| A few hours later the senator still
somewhat perturbed, not having fully
| overcome his fright at his first effort,
was approached by his aid who asked:
Here's the speech, senator; shall
read 4 to you before it goes into the
tions!"
Guess YOU had better" responded
the statesman.
The secretary read, putting emphasis
| on every word and syllable. His very
eloquence impressed the senator, who
had at first shown but mild disinter-
est. He Strengthened in his chair and
as the secretary grew more fervent the
| senator broke in:
stop right there. Right there"
| friends to his room and asked the sec
rotary to start from the beginning and
| read it all over and this he did, sum-
moiIing every forensical faculty in the
| presentation of that speech in which
there was a pride of authorship. He
went on and on, and when he finally
came to halt, the senator slapped one
of his friends on the knee and enthusi-
astically exclaimed:
BY cracky, that's good, isn't it
Harry? Just as I said it. Just as I
! said it!'
And. so it goes, the secretary fits in
here, fits in there, does this and does
that, but his every action is designed
to assist the senator Or congressman
Tor whom he Is working. There's not
+, a secretary in Washington who will
Enot take an oath that his employer is
the greatest man in congress and who
;<Will not fight for him to the finish They
[ sometimes do. AS a result of the con-
ssclentlous effort of the third house"
rlt is held in the highest esteem not
only by members Of congress- but peo-
pie who generally are fully cognizant
Iof the. secretarys power and prestige
with individual statesmen. To insult
IL secretary is almost the same as di-
rect insult to his employer.
AS the result of the warm personal
detachment that grows up between the
member of congress and his secretary
LINE elevation of the former to chair
manshlp of a committee invariably
lsbrings about the rise of his secretary
ITO the position of clerk to that COM
mlttee with accompa nyins increases in
salary from $1,000 to sometimes $4,000.
1t does not hold, however, that every
secretary gets $780, Some of the very
rev congressman who possibly are dis
inclined to admit the value of a secre-
tary, and who see fit to personally care
Tor the great quantity of routine bust
ness which must be transacted, often
times hire their secretaries for less
ltnan this amount pocketing the differ
ence betwee!e the salary paid and that
allowed by congressional legislative en-
actment. In other instances the sec
rotary is forced to share a portion OF
his salary with an assistant. But on
| the other hand there have been cases
where wealthy men elected to congress
and soon approaching the value OF
their aids, have turned over their en-
tire congressional as we'll as secre-
tarial salaries to those men whose SER
tvices admittedly perpetuated them in
office.
| The longer secretary remains with
a congressman or senator the more in
dispensible he becomes. He Is the con-
fdential adviser, the guardian Of DO
litical interests, the manager of de-
! partmental business and the store
house for secrets ~