The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-11
Frederic Haskin's Letter
NetO Men ir, Congress.

to find him, but there is not even q
line in the morning newspaner
noting his arrival Everyone has
not been so Sighted, he finds Tho
speaker has been persuaded to givo
his ideas of the problems vim
which congress must wrestIe Tho
! moor leaders views on the legisIa-
tive program are set forth. The
chairman of the ways and means
committee has had something to saw
about revision of the tarIff and
taxation,
The tyro legislator spends his
first day in Washington irving IN
md boarding house. The tired
| looking women to whom he annIjos
do not bowdown and worsbin az bis
feet when the new man acnuaints
them with the fact that he is on
OF the members of the 65th con
| gress. The only result is a hooet
IN the price the landlady was about
| to quote.
The formalities of the opening Of
congress over, the presidents mes
sage received, and the members
sworn in, this particular new mem
bOLIlnn
| up in him, and ready TO burst forth
is his idea of what legislative course
must be pursued. To his chagrin
he finds that everything seems 10
be arraa ged. He seeks recognition.
but is informed that someone else
has the floor. He begins to believe
he doesn't amount to much, and
feels Tito be a privilege that he is
allowed to remain and listen.
The Battling of OratOry.
In the meetings of the house, he
finds half dozen men on each
side apparently running things.
These, he learns, are the leaders.
Finally he seeks recognition.
The presiding officer puts the
from question. For what purpose
does the gentleman rise?'
The gentleman says he wants TO
make a speech. He is told that the
member in charge of the Iegisla-
ton before the house has charge of
the time. He appeals to him, and
is .brusquely informed that all of
the time is allotted. The new man
takes his seat, crestfallen. The
balloon of pride, buoyant a few days
ago, is now fiat and fiabby thing.
His committee assignments carry
he process of defiation a bit farther.
Befote disillusionment set in, the
new congressman had looked for
a berth on the ways and means
committee or the appropriations
When the assignments
are announced, he discovers that
perhaps his only assignment is to
The committee on floor control, and
be comes from a district where it
rains only Is inches in a year.
William Tyler Page, now clerk
Of the house, and Joe Sinnott, head
ioorkeeper when there is a Demo-
cratic majority, have seen many
generations of congressman come
and go, and find little difference in
he crop every two years. Time
after time new members appeared
who came to Washington with the
that the house office
building was intended also as a
dormitory. These
men had no intention of squander-
ng part of their $500 salary on
living quarters. Even when inform
ID that they could not put cots in
heir offices, some have tried BY
stealth to save money in this way
)ne member who lasted only one
ERIN employed his son as secretary
o keep that much more money in e.
he family, and both of them, it I
vas found out, were living in a
,arn.
The Senate Adjourned.
ha
onger term, and fewer members,
5 not a parallel of the house, but
OCCASIONALLY a new senator is a lit
lie TOO obsreperous for the veter-
ms of that body. There was one
ot SO long ago who burst forth
nto speech at the least provoca-
ion, and a week after taking his
eat was calling all of his col
by their first names. Some
{ the older senators resented this,
ut did not show it at first.
But one day, in the midst Of a
eautiful peroration, one OF the
lder senators arose.
will the senator yield TO the
enator from -" the vice presi
ent asked.
Il am always glad to yield to my
olleagues who are my elders in
ONT of service in this body as
ell as in age" the new senator
with a flourish.
L move that the senate do now
djourn," the veteran quietly pro-
osed. Much to the Chagrin of the
nbitious orator, that is just what
lie senate did, right in the middle
his speech.