The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1922-08-26
A ~CONGRESSMAN'S MAIL

A congressman's desk is full Of mai
and propaganda.
What do the people write about7 you
ask.
Wei, about almost everything under
the sun. The congressman is the bu-
reau of information for his district. He
is the direct representative for his dis
trict of h great government at
washington to which all people urn
when In need or distress.
Letters come favoring or opposing
legislation; asking for information on
every conceivable subject asking for
government aid In all sorts Of enter
prises; asking help to get people out
of all sorts of difficulties and troubles
asking for information that will help
boys and girls in debates; asking for
decisions to help settle bets; asking
for literature on all manner Of sub
jects; asking for aid in getting post
offices and rural routes established.
The homesteader seeks his congress-
mans assistance In land Office matters.
The old soldier and the soldier of later
wars bring many problems to their
congressman. The mothers Of soldiers
often have need of help in the way Of
delayed insurance adjustments, a dis
charge for the boy who enlisted under
age. and occasionally help to get
clemency for a boy In prison. The
farmer asks for bulletins. agriculture
year books. garden seed, rare field seed,
farm loans ard q variety of other
things. One wrote In and asked for
the loan Of a government bull. They
also write often about fence laws. road
laws and high taxes on real estate
with all Of which the federal govern
ment has nothing to do.
Claims against the government pro-
duCe much mail and some work. Some
Of the claims are recent and collecta-
BILE, but many are for losses during the
Civil war and before, and these, how
ever just, are hard to do anything with
ut this late date.
Many people write urging larger ap-
for various departments
Of the government in which they or
their communities are directly inter-
ested. Some urge greater a%ppropria-
lions and lower federal taxes at the
time.
Some letters refer to Jobs the writer's
would like to obtain. but as a con
yressman has little influence in pr0cur-
ng jobs now since nearly all govern
nent positions have seen but In the
lot crowd the desk.
There are many u%nclasified requests,
UGH ms one from the citizens of a GER
ain town alleging that the citizens Of
mother town had stolen their court
Iouse In the night and asking for Its
eturn through government agency.
Propaganda 10 Plentiful. +,
Then there is the propaganda. which I
!, In a class by itself. 1t comes from
II quarters Of the globe and covers
II subjects relating to life. from birth
ontrOl to government ~graveyards. It
delivered by wire, mail and messen-
er. 1t runs In volume from a tele-
or post card to bound books. No {
is suggested In congress, 1t G
Gems, that does not bring forth q a
lOwer of propaganda, and some SUBJ +
cts bring a deluge. {
So you can see that a cOngressman's b
esk is apt to be full Of mail. His Of
&c 10 quite a business institution. II n
} had nc legislative duties to perform h
} would find his whole time we'll en- II
Dyed in taking care Of the mail. and n
requests for service which the T
ais bring In. I,
And withal let me say that a con-
esman likes to hear from home. He r
ants to be Of service to his constitu- :
is. He courts the business, so to
eak. He Is proud Of the big bunch n
mail that comes in and Is pleased
see q big bunch 60 out at the close
the day. A big mail indicates a
use touch with home. Most members
swer most letters. have replied to al
cry letter that has come to my Of W
e from Colorado, except me-. That h,
from a sort Of anarchist, I would m
lge. Anyway, I could hardly die in
q proper reply to q lady stenog- tv
pher, 50 that single letter among the In
,usands went into the waste basket,
answered.