| Show fruits of victory by james J montague Y FRIEND blodge had as mr M alred so long to become one of the notions nations lawgivers and bad been so delighted with his ele election c that I 1 supposed I 1 should find hl him in in a state of exaltation when I 1 called on him in his office in washington from early youth he had been enthusiastic about politics had been active in debating societies and later in primaries and local campaigns to in me e he be seemed to be foreordained fore ordained to th the e career of a statesman so sure was I 1 that even after two months in the service of the people he would be already so busted busied with their affairs that I 1 expected when I 1 tent sent my card to him on the floor of the house that I 1 would be asked to wait for half an hour or so instead he answered my request for an interview himself and instead of stowing me away in the gallery till tho the weighty matters in which he was taking part had been settled he be took me by the shoulder and steered me to the elevator come along 1 1 he be sald said 1 I want to talk to you ive simply got to talk to somebody beside my secretary hows everybody in the old home town building any new houses Is denny Me Morrow getting ready to start up the old place again it if beer comes back what do the boys at home think about the beer business anyway will there be a modification do you suppose why blodge I 1 said youre right down here where being settled yon ton dont mean to tell me you dont know what does anybody know here what do I 1 know about anything what do you suppose anybody tells a congressman about what Is going on As soon as we arrived at his odlie e he motioned me to a sent seat told a lonely lookin looking secretary that she could have the afternoon out and proceeded gosh im glad to see you 1 im glad to see arfy anybody body I 1 can talk to I 1 could have talked to the horses on the street when I 1 first got hero here it there had been any horses that had the time on their hands to listen to me horses at least look sympathetic but somehow I 1 cant talk to automobiles no more responsive than the congressmen ive been trying to talk to but theres been one bright spot in my life theres a little dog that belon belongs s to the family next door to my boarding house and sometimes he walks clear up to the capitol with me unless he happens to meet som eother dog cut but listen I 1 said you ought not to feel that way youve achieved the ambition of your life youre a big man now with a voice in the settling of big measures youre the first man in our party that ever got elected from our district gone wrong with you say dont joke about a voice in the settling of big measures do you suppose anybody lets me in on happening today Is the first day the doorkeepers stopped we me when I 1 started to go into the house and asked roe me who I 1 wanted to see end and what was the nature of my business with him the first day I 1 was here I 1 put la in eleven bills and now I 1 cant find out what committee has got them if tiny any I 1 think id have gone back home before this it if one of the page boys feel vorry sorry for me now dow and then and talk to roe me in the corridor about the hockey team hes playing on and his bis hopes to grow up and be a lightweight prize fighter the first day before I 1 knew much abat congress I 1 said bald that with iris his opportunities to learn about lawmaking law making I 1 should think his ambition would be to go to congress ho he just looked at me a minute and then said A aw w quit your kidding mister for two weeks now ive been try ing to see the chairmen of the committees my bills haye hare been sent to and always they sent word out to come in some other day and by the time I 1 ever get a chance to see them the session will probably be over and then N it be too late guyes I 1 know some gome 0 of the fellows in the e same delegation but on the other side of the house bouse and so they cant do me any good some of them are sociable enough I 1 and even say that when they have some bill that partisan they will let me know so I 1 can vote for it which I 1 think Is sort ot of decent of em dont you but the men in my own party dont seem to have any time to give me if I 1 go downto down to the restaurant tor for lunch and draw a chair up to a table where three or tour four fellows are eating the conversation they were carrying on stops right away and they begin to talk about the weather or ask me what kind of a climate we have in our state and it if I 1 think notre dame will have as good a team this year as they did last 1 I dont know what the folks at home ire are going to say tt if my name dont get into the local papers pretty soon you know all the promises I 1 made about retrenchment and the foreign debts I 1 sort of let folks think that as soon as I 1 got down here I 1 would take those matters up right away and fight em through in the face of any opposition well im here and im ready and eager to fight buchow but how are you going to fight when nobody will give you a chance to say anything and it you dont say anything how will the boys at home know what you are doing or rather why you aint doing doln anything id been down liere here before I 1 was elected but I 1 was a constituent then and was looked on as important and I 1 had no trouble in seeing anybody I 1 wanted to see but now the other day I 1 sent my card in to one of the house leaders and I 1 heard him say to his secretary what Is he a congressman tes sir says the secretary well tell him im engaged with the speaker and cant see him till friday week was the answer no I 1 aint getting downhearted or despondent exactly I 1 guess tt if I 1 stay around here for five or ten years that I 1 may be somebody and now and then get my name into the papers A man I 1 know who used to be in the house told me the other day that he was here for four terms before the speaker knew he a doorkeeper so maybe I 1 to be discouraged but believe me that fellow robin robinson son crusoe have been so lo 10 lonesome ne as I 1 am for he be did have a colored boy to talk to and besides there nobody back home ritten around an wondering why he be a national celebrity and making good on all his prophecies of a brilliant and useful career for hims elit As I 1 made a move in the direction of the door he laid a retaining hand band on my coat lapel dont go now he pleaded come up to my boardl boarding ng house and have dinner dinder with me or go to a restaurant it if you would rather I 1 want to tell you of some of the things im going to do when I 1 get a chance so you really think you will be able to get something done well the facts tact Is I 1 do they all do if it for the illusion of hope about a third of the members would burst out crying the middle ot of the first week they were here and take trains for home but were a hopeful lot and by the way id rd like like to read you that last bul bill of mine I 1 begin to think that may be it will make my reputation here ac bell syndicate service |
