Evening star., 1925-01-04

sightseeing or on business bent; he
has frequently to finance constituents
who ''go broke" while on visit to
the Capital; he has to make frequent
contributions to charitable as well as
political organizations; he has the ex-
pense of both primary and election
campaigns every two years. Few
members of Congress can live on the
salaries they receive and have to dig
into savings.
Members of Congress are constantly
schooled to suffer much and say lit
tie about 1t. OF course, they are
human and all have their faults and
some, vices. They come from all
walks in life. each with some par
ticular ability which led his fellow
citizens to send him to Congress to
represent them. Some of them have
small town ideas and some of them
have ideas that embrace the universe
1t is the rubbing together of such
men from all parts of the country,
with all sorts OF experience that
gives us laws that pretty we'll meet
conditions generally-an honest con-
census of the will of the people.
Spends Full Days.
How does member of Congress
spend his day? Usually he gets to his
Office by o'clock He spends about
his secretary. He apportions out the
work that the secretary can do for
him. Then he usually attends a
committee meeting until noon, or If
he has no committee meeting he
visits Government bureaus in the in
terests OF some constituents. From
IL to 5 or $50 he spends what time
he can in the House chamber listen
ing to debate, comforting with his
colleagues on some matter concern
ing his district or of national i'm
portance. IN odd moments he keeps
as nearly abreast of his office work as
possible, and in a few rare quiet mo-
ments prepares his speeches. These
speeches are more often printed in
the Congressional Record under
leave to extend remarks" than
actually made in the legislative
chamber.
Much of the time of members is
wasted in hurrying from their of
fees to the legislative chamber to
answer a roll call. They dare not
miss the call because it might be on
some matter of party interest or af-
fecting their district Not once in
100 times is the call really necessary.
The member eats his lunch at what
ever hour may be most convenient
often it is sandwich and bottle OF
pop and an apple munched in the
cloakroom.
just Everyday Man.
He plays golf for exercise and rec
reation and attends social gatherings
just about the same as the general
run of men everywhere throughout
the country.
The congressman is not an idol or
super-man, nor is Ne always an ideal
citiZen-he is decidedly human. The
Founding F'athers' intended that he
should be one of the people, close to
them, so that he could sympatheti
ly represent them.
The lot of a congressman is a hard
one. His constituents should not
make 1t harder by demanding that
he do things he cannot or should not
do, or by urging him to father legis-
lation that properly should be han
died by their own city council or
State legislature.
On the whole members of Congress
are a pretty sensible lot, and bob up
smiling no matter how sorely their
strength and spirits may have been
tried.
Copyright, 1924, by Will P. Kennedy
(The twenty-sixth article in this
series will be Uncle Sans Daily
Newspaper" 1t will be printed in
this paper next Wednesday,