Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-01-01
ROLL.CALL.
A Spicy Sketch of the Opening o. tho
Present Session Of Congress.

LINZ tlc ptISciIi, WHO Calls JI1c
roll after deadly battle, Clerk Me
Pherson came up to the desk, taking
the place of Chaplain Butler. Alas!
How many brave men have fallen.
Their bodies are yet upon the field,
but the grim hand of political death
is upon the majority of this mighty
host before us.
SO many chaste, subducd looks
have never been seen before in any
political bodies; with the departure
of life, a calm, serene expression
takes possession Of the Congressional
countenanccs. Ben Butler is at his
desk. He looks as belligcrent as if
he were not dead. He looks forward
to a resurrection. Before him lie
few books and papers which he
glances at occasionally. Dawes is at
his seat He looks pale and worn
about the eyes. William Walter
Phelps, the witty man from New
Jersey, looks much older than he did
last session, but it does not seem to
be care that has made so. A man
with a million or so at his back is
not given to worrying. Poland
comes over for 4 chat with Butler
during the roll-call. Wonder if the
gray-headed old ghost in blue coat
and brass buttons volunteers any re-
marks about the gag-law. Scudder,
of New Jersey, composes his fat form
in his seat for a nap, while the empty
headed Coburn, Of Indiana, digs
away at his red whiskcrs, and looks
as vacant as ever. BY his side is
Sam. Ward, the veteran lobbyist.
What is he doing in here upon the
floor of the house? This looks won
dertully like the predominance of the
lobby element this season. Back of
him is Horace Maynard, the rigid
bean-pole of etiquette, on stills, bend
ing with suave grace to u brother
member. Sammy Cox is, as usual,
at the front, polishing his eyeglasses,
and coming over in his mind bril-
liant extempore speech. Fernando
Wood has added another button to
his coat, and it throws up his aristo-
cratic chin a little higher. His white
mustache and cleaning eyeglasses
stand out in bold relief, cmblems of
dignity and serene contemplation Of
future Democratic possibilities. Next
to him is that ultra. cold-blooded.
cleaning, gold-spectacled soul Of
grimness and probity, +. lockwood
lloar, strong opposite to the bellig-
ercnt, handsome General Iiawley, Of
Connecticut, who is idly beating the
devils tattoo upon the desk before
him. Crossing the aisle to the Re
publican side, md the notable faces
are many. General Garfield bends
his head contempla lively over a heap
of appropriation bills. Kasson, of
Iowa, Fuckers his mouth as if he
were going to whistle dead march.
That prince Of humbugs and Pecks
nitfS, Judge Lawrence, Of Ohio, poses
for statesman, as usual, absorbed in
nothing, and Matching emptiness, in
his seat in the far background. Ly-
man Tremain sits down in the front
by the side of General Negley, with
his hands folded before, looking for
all the world like foreman on a
coroner's jury sitting upon body
suddenly brought to an untimely de-
mise by a visitation of 'the aforesaid
God, as western verdict once ran.
During the roll-call Butler goes
over to the Democratic side for a talk
with Charley Eldredge. They laugh
over their mutual defeat, and Butler
again denies that he cried out in the
heat Of the last campaign, when he
saw defeat coming, "Boys, this is
h-ll." Butler insists that he toresaw
his defeat, and that it was not unex-
pected to him, before he goes back
to his seat, stopping by the way to
chat with Alexander II. Stephens.
Stephens does not look quite 50
much like ghost this season. De
cidedly he is improved. He sits up
right, calm, sweet-tempered and pa
tient, Notwithstanding the tumor that
is ever at its deadly work upon his
thigh. A silk hat is upon his head
this opening day; a purple cap will
take its place tomorrow.