Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1875-12-11

az course tie principal event Of the week was
the opening Of Democratic Congress. As early
az 10 o'clock the vast galleries ct the House were
throazcd. while massing inevcyy entrance, crowd
ing ,hs stately corridors ard swarmiug up and
down the great stairways a mighty, restless It'd,
Of human life cbbed and flowed Until 2 O'clock
che scene below was a motley oue,-sigbt'ceIs
disappointed 10 their efforts q gaia adnission Co
the galleries, smoOth-voiccd lobbyists and hun
CRY crowd Of Office. seekers gathering ia black
mass abou, the Speakers stand, leaning on the
members desks loungng on The sofas or wearing
holes 20 the splendid new carpet With their i'm
pat.cn, footsteps Coming, going. eager, idle
the roar aud con a3ioa Of ,lc great erowdwas al
most iatolcrable.
D. eleven the members began & drop In. OF
the uo,ablcs Randall was among the Grst-ta'l .
heavily built, da-ly formed, with iuteu,ely black
hair curling slightly and worn short very par
ticuiar lie bis dress very disuiaed 10 bis bearing.
h. Is 10 appearance az least 40 ornamental "msu-
bcr." A huge brown ulster" attached % a
still huser fclio emerged from one OF the door
WAYS, and after much speculation as toi,s iumat
i was ualolded and Banks appeared i,t,
iaorc broken than when be sat with So much hone
or in The Speakers chair; a iiule more 81 o swell
than when he made bis last grea; speech on th,
Credi, Nobelier question. Mr.. Kerr did not show
himself uutil alter the uoesc was called % order.
lie is tall, rather slight man, with PERCUSSION
OF ljgh, hair and ahiskcrs. Cox, Wood, Lama.
Blaine and host OF % hess cllae in quick succc,
zion, go that when Mr. Mcpherson, by virtue OF
bis o4ice as Clerk o. "a, last HIsss. called the
roll, 2s6 members answered % their names. The
f-st business on hand was ,lc election ola Speak
sr. The vote was strictly a party one. Kerr re
sewing 75 aglia,; IO6 for Blaine. Although the
result %. the election had 5,.n I.,1rmia,t 10 eau
Gus Saturday evening. rs tl- proceedings aa-
vauced the interest deepened until Mr.. Kerr rose
@, deliver bis Inaugural address, a great silence
.cluc down on the waiting multitude bro, only
bv The Increasing confusion Of the turbulent
th-oug outside. Standing there in the Speaker
position with On. hght falling on him through The
pictured insignia Of sovereign states, he, the no.
blest representative oC estates rights, pledged
himself O. perform. without Gnchiug from 10,
path og dutv, the dihSul. functions of the 2nd Of
fee in the land The swearing in OF the nembe,.
NAe-NtNh'A aa- tt'-~i Heat.-r N-r't-'~ Nt tf
coufcje-a;es on the Glor &C the House. nearly
oue-thi.d Of The whole number controlling
influence In the most important branch Of che
General Government Conspicuous among thi.
number VIII, tl,S on, " m1diied oath, was our
Distinguished representative, lion. c. j. Faux
ncr. than whom no. one attracted more the notice
Of the crowded galleries. Fia.dsssIv stirred. hy
seemed. indeed. o. have renewed his youth in ap.
pcariog once more in these familiar halls.
After the members bad been sworn. on The QSes
ton o. On, aju.ssi,a 90 N ,rsy % louisiana
Blaine. as leader Of the Republicans, attempted
% force the Democrats into a rujnous precedent
in priuG fucic cases aad o. clmpel them 10 cal
back from its grave d. d.cayi1g corpse OF th.
Louisiana question Of de;,sa5le memory, failed
however, siguaUv, and when hlbusJ,rias com
msucej ;Ac Democrats yielded gracefully 20 a.
honorable compromise. The orglnisatil DO VA
completed by the election of The minor o fcsr. 90
party vote. ard 90 motion o.. Holman On, Hou
adjourned. To -.w moments che great Tall ua
deserted. The mighty throug poured out through
the long passage into tho Roundl to lose its'l
SIMON. ,le broad avenues that "a rom the Cap
it5l o., tae Nation. Tbs curtain IN Q ROD ed down
on the dsst sc,n1 OF drama i1 which d-cp-thjnk
ing schemers were In play their parts dram.
On who's, issa, mi ght hinge an Jhe dsstiuies o.
this proud Republic They were gone % wea
th.uisht with Oh .jr dreams OF au5., on. trustiu.
in their own strength; and an the whil' uuheed
ia the gathering ia sass. and hstfsiliog rain
the subhss image ot ths 90 FAthe- OF his Country
with ever upiitsI arm pointing 10 sPeeehless e'o
cueucs toward The Ileavea Of tia; God " fror
NJ, aI-r. ,,--.th tL. rict.-r >,