Changes

== Probable associations ==

== Probable associations ==

=== State ===

=== State ===

The State where Jefferson Smith was born and raised is never named. The almost certain candidate is [[Colorado]]. Colorado is along the most direct flight line that a carrier [[pigeon]] might fly from [[Washington, DC]] through [[Kentucky]]. It lies along the [[Continental Divide]] and the [[Rocky Mountains]] and is well-known for its forests. The State involved must have had a mountainous region that included a creek and its valley that would be suitable for camping and have a rich population of wildlife.

The State where Jefferson Smith was born and raised is never named. The almost certain candidate is [[Colorado]]. Colorado is along the most direct flight line that a carrier [[pigeon]] might fly from [[Washington, DC]] through [[Kentucky]]. It lies along the [[Continental Divide]] and the [[Rocky Mountains]] and is well known for its forests. The State involved must have had a mountainous region that included a creek and its valley that would be suitable for camping and have a rich population of wildlife.

Colorado is also mineral-rich. This is important because a key part of Jefferson Smith's background involves a crooked syndicate of [[mining]] companies.

Colorado is also mineral-rich. This is important because a key part of Jefferson Smith's background involves a crooked syndicate of [[mining]] companies.

Suddenly Smith saw a sight that made him forget his pigeons, Susan Paine, and everything and everyone else around him: the Capitol Dome, the most inspiring sight he had ever beheld. Oblivious to everything else, he started walking toward it. Then a tour bus stopped near the [[railroad]] station, and Smith got aboard. And so he took a regular tour of Washington, and saw all the sights, including the Capitol lobby (with its statue of [[Thomas Jefferson]] holding his quill pen), the courthouse of the [[United States Supreme Court]], [[Arlington National Cemetary]], and finally the [[Abraham Lincoln]] Memorial. There he looked up into the eyes of the statue of Abraham Lincoln, and imagined that Lincoln was looking at him, as if to say that he, Lincoln, had sat all these long years in that spot, waiting for someone to come along.

Suddenly Smith saw a sight that made him forget his pigeons, Susan Paine, and everything and everyone else around him: the Capitol Dome, the most inspiring sight he had ever beheld. Oblivious to everything else, he started walking toward it. Then a tour bus stopped near the [[railroad]] station, and Smith got aboard. And so he took a regular tour of Washington, and saw all the sights, including the Capitol lobby (with its statue of [[Thomas Jefferson]] holding his quill pen), the courthouse of the [[United States Supreme Court]], [[Arlington National Cemetary]], and finally the [[Abraham Lincoln]] Memorial. There he looked up into the eyes of the statue of Abraham Lincoln, and imagined that Lincoln was looking at him, as if to say that he, Lincoln, had sat all these long years in that spot, waiting for someone to come along.

Then he realized that he was not in Washington as a tourist, but had business here, and had abandoned his escorts. Hastily he made his way to the Capitol complex and the Senate Office Building (of which the Senate has three; which building he used, the story never says). When he arrived, he asked a doorman which office was the office of Jefferson Smith, and the doorman told him. He walked up the stairs, knocked on that office, and when a woman's harrassed voice said, "Come in!", he walked in. He diffidently asked whether he had reached the offices of Jefferson Smith, and to his surprise, a young woman with an angry look on her face repeatedly said, "No!" So he walked away—and then the young woman came rushing out into the hallway.

Then he realized that he was not in Washington as a tourist, but had business here, and had abandoned his escorts. Hastily he made his way to the Capitol complex and the Senate Office Building (of which the Senate has three; which building he used, the story never says). When he arrived, he asked a doorman which office was the office of Jefferson Smith, and the doorman told him. He walked up the stairs, knocked on that office, and when a woman's harassed voice said, "Come in!", he walked in. He diffidently asked whether he had reached the offices of Jefferson Smith, and to his surprise, a young woman with an angry look on her face repeatedly said, "No!" So he walked away—and then the young woman came rushing out into the hallway.

"Wait a minute!" she cried. "What's your name?"

"Wait a minute!" she cried. "What's your name?"

Smith could say nothing to this. Visitors in the gallery booed him, and young pages took off their Boy Ranger pins.

Smith could say nothing to this. Visitors in the gallery booed him, and young pages took off their Boy Ranger pins.

The hearings in the Committee on Privileges and Elections (in real life, this is the Senate Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, or "The Ethics Committee") were like something out of that novel by that weird [[German]] author, [[Franz Kafka]], titled [[The Trial]] (assuming that Jeff Smith ever read anything by Kafka, which he might have done, even to keep up with yet another book that [[Adolf Hitler]] had ordered burnt). He saw a deed of record showing him to be the owner of the two-hundred-acre plot that included Willett Creek, and, worse yet, a contract, with his signature on it, saying that he promised Kenneth Allen fifty percent of any profits that he might make on the sale of that land. Three different handwriting experts testified to the commitee, and two of the three said that his signature was real. Finally, Joe Paine told the biggest lie of all: that after Smith had presented his bill, Paine had congratulated him, but pointed out the Willett Dam project, which had prompted Smith to say, "Move the dam!" Of course, no such conversation had ever occurred. When Smith had presented his bill, Paine had left the chamber in the middle of its reading—and here Paine was, telling a story made up out of the whole cloth!

The hearings in the Committee on Privileges and Elections (in real life, this is the Senate Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, or "The Ethics Committee") were like something out of that novel by that weird [[German]] author, [[Franz Kafka]], titled [[The Trial]] (assuming that Jeff Smith ever read anything by Kafka, which he might have done, even to keep up with yet another book that [[Adolf Hitler]] had ordered burnt). He saw a deed of record showing him to be the owner of the two-hundred-acre plot that included Willett Creek, and, worse yet, a contract, with his signature on it, saying that he promised Kenneth Allen fifty percent of any profits that he might make on the sale of that land. Three different handwriting experts testified to the committee, and two of the three said that his signature was real. Finally, Joe Paine told the biggest lie of all: that after Smith had presented his bill, Paine had congratulated him, but pointed out the Willett Dam project, which had prompted Smith to say, "Move the dam!" Of course, no such conversation had ever occurred. When Smith had presented his bill, Paine had left the chamber in the middle of its reading—and here Paine was, telling a story made up out of the whole cloth!

When the committee invited him to speak, he found that he couldn't. He walked out of the committee hearing room without saying a word.

When the committee invited him to speak, he found that he couldn't. He walked out of the committee hearing room without saying a word.