Evening star., 1925-01-04
YOU AND UNCLE SAM
Series Of Educational articles Telling Hou Federal Govern
ment Is Organized and Ho,U 1t Functions-Written
Expressly for School Children
No. 25-The Work of Member of Congress
RY WTJI p KENNEDY
BY WILL p. KENNEDY

Don't think that the job of a men,
Der of Congress. either in the Senate
or National House Of Representatives.
is one of unalloyed happiness, sue
cess, popularity and opportunity-far
from that. 1t is as discouraging and
disheartening as any ambitious young
man ever entered upon.
There are in Congress today actual
ly scores upon scores of men who
were rated as world beaters" back
home, who, with their spirits
broken, have settled into "innocuous
desuetude" and are just moving along
In a rut
Remember, that in your own COM
munity there is just one Congressman
whom you see seldom and about
whom you read in the newspapers
rather frequently. In Washington
there are 435 members of the House
and 96 members of the Senate-531
Congressman in all, so in Washington
society they are not rarity and so
do not get uncommon attention.
A rising young lawyer, setting some
store by his talent for oratory, per-
haps after several terms in the State
legislature, comes to Congress-and
SO times out of 100 drops out of sight
and public notice. He gets little or
no chance to make a speech in Con-
gress and in the matter of committee
assignments fails to get appointed to
such committees as would be most
helpful.
Becomes Errand Boy.
Then he is swamped with letters
from his constituents who seem to
imagine he is just an errand boy for
them in the Capital. Right off, he
has demands upon him from more
than 100 persons seeking jobs-and
most of these want important posi-
tions for which they have no quail
flcation. He is kept on the run from
one Government department and bu-
reau to another-and there are hun
dreds Of them: for example, the De-
.partment of Agriculture alone is
housed in more than rs buildings in
all corners of the city.
The new member of Congress is
sorely tried in mind, body and spirit
to even appear to be endeavoring to
do something toward meeting the
demands of constituents. And dur
ing and after all this he is subject
to severe and biting criticism in his
home district because he has not
been able TO do more. In his own
party and in other parties there are
men who want the honor of being
Congressman who are quite ready to
censure him unfairly without even
knowing what he is up against.
In his zeal to do all he can for the
home folks each Member of Congress
must be constantly on his guard
against being led into false position
by specially interested groups with
some AK of their own to grind. They
importune and petition him. often
times to do something that they real
ize will be against his own best inter
ests and those of the majority of his
constituents.
He has a salary of S7,500-where
oftentimes he was earning $40, 900 or
$4,000 or more in his own profession
or business. He makes the sacrifice
for the honor that comes to his fam
lily through his being chosen a Mem
Der of Congress, or through a patri
otic spirit of public service-only to
throw himself wide open to all sorts
of criticism.
Expenses Run High.
Out of the $500, he has to main
tain a residence back home; he has
to pay the cost of moving family and
furniture to the Capital; he has to
maintain apartments in the Capital
and feed and clothe himself and fam
lily; he and his family have to dress
better than when in his home COM
munity, and attendance on social
functions is an added expense; he
has to entertain visitors from his dis
trict when they come to Washington