Year: 1873

A T any time during the session of Con-
IN gress one ante room to the Senate
Chamber is filled with females gathered in
groups about the learned lawmakers, or
attracting them singly Some of them are
wives or daughters of the Senators, some
are strangers visiting the capitol; but the
majority is made up of women pressing
claims before Congress.


To get better look at these feminine
agents, one must visit the lobby to the
rear of the Speakers chair in the House
of Representatives. 1t is long low cor
ridor under the reporters gall cry, finished
and furnished in the same florid style pc
culiar to the entire building. On the
same side are doors opening to the hall of
the House, on the other the Speakers pri-
vate room, originally intended for the
families of the members, but of late so
invaded and occupied by the female lobby,
that families of members shun the place.
and the Speaker himself is driven to the
Clerks office when he wishes to see a
friend or write note.


Here we find the female lobby in all its
glory. 1t appears clad in all the tints of
the rainbow and fairly dazzles one with
its display of jewelry. Some of this is
cheap, but most of it is really costly. To
the man of the world the dress is a shade
too vulgar and the manner slightly loud
and coarse. Some are young and fresh,
but the majority are on the wrong side of
forty, with hard look about their faces,
and lines that are tracks of tried feelings
past disappointments.


The average Congressman is not man
of the world. He marries before he
achieves greatness, and his knowledge of
life is limited to very primitive social
condition, where he encountered and wed
the plain, homely little woman who shares
with his elevation without adding much
to its dignity or grace. When such man
comes within reach of the more ordinary
specimens of these legislative Delilahs, he
is somewhat intoxicated by their attentions
and votes away vast domains, subsidies
or huge monopolies, under the influence
Of two tender eyes or the confidential tap
of sandle-wood fan. The study of the
average Congressman from social, or,
indeed, any point of view, is not only OF
interest, but important, if we wish to un.
derstand and appreciate the working OF
our free institutions. Taken from the
common walks Of life, he finds himself
translated out of a little Office where pov.
erty waits on business, and an humble
home, barely possessed of the ordinary
comforts of life, to the gorgeous magnia-
cence of a marble palace-gorgeous be
yond his widest dreams. AS he approach
es its many entrances, obsequious servants
bend before him and the magic doors
swing on easy hinges, as If conscious Of
his rights and privileges; nimble pages
obey his slightest wish and anticipate hi
needs. His mail matter suddenly SWELL
to an enormous extent. The average
Congressman appreciates the mail matter
1t costs him nothing and indicates his great
ness. In the committee room where hi
delegated body reposes In velvet cushion
cd chair under ceilings where gorgeous
freseoings weary the eye, he has realizing
greatness. This is not diminished whel
the committee, after half an hours heavy
labor on public affairs, draws the bottl
from hidden recess Of the heavily carve'