New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-12-22
washington Letter.
From our regular CORE spondent.

OPENING SCENES IN THE HOUSE
AND SENATE. A BIRD 's-EYE VIEW OF
CONGRESS. FLOOR SCENERY.
WAsH1NGTcN, D. G. Dec. 18th, 80
On the first day OF the Congress
sional session the lobbies are crowd
ed and the galleries are packed.
Those who haye resided long in
Washington, and the transient
visitor, are alike deslrous to see, on
this historic arena, those personages,
petit and grand, who have been be.
praised and be-spattered so much,
and upon whom hangs, in great
part, the political destiny of the
powerful precocious, phenomenal
civilization of the Western World.
The wives and daughters Of senators
and members throng that part Of
the gallery set apart for them.
Members Of the diplomatic cops,
with faultless hair and gloves, look
down from the diplomatic gallery is
filled with an array Of faces no less
familiar in Washington than those
Of the distinguished gentlemen on
the floor. And the gallery, for gen.
eral admission, is unlike astreet-car
i'll that it is too full to admit one
more. All these have come to see
the opening Of the Congressional
session.
In the House, the desks of some
of the members are covered with
bouquets or baskets Of flowers.
These have been sent, perhaps, by
THEN fair clients in the Government
Offices; or, maybe, by fair decoy
in the employ of the lobby. At any
rate you may be assured that neither
these flowers nor their donors be.
long to the class that blush unseen
and waste their fragrance.
The meeting and greeting of
members Of the floor resembles
nothing so much as the return of
students, after summer vacation,
to the familiar campus or class
room. They shake hands, laugh,
slap each other on the back, and
give the expression of old boys re-
newing the antics and enthusiasms
of their youth; to the great enter
tainment of America, Europe,
Africa, and China in the gallery.
They are more oblivious, however,
to the four quarters OF the globe
than to the fact that they are scru-
tinized from the desk filled space,
oyer the speakers stand, where those
whom Mr.. Cameron called literary
fellers'', and whom Mr.. Butler re-
ferred to as the ''forty Jackass pow.
er of the press, observe to tell
their ingoings, out comings, and
short comings.
In the House, few members mo.
bers monopolize the attention of
the curious. There are more men in
this body who recall "reminiscences
Of the most the most tragic period
Of our brief national life than in
the Senate. The Vice President of
the Lost Cause is here, cabinet
minister of Jeff. Davis, aid gener-
al Of the highest rank in the rebel
army are members of the present
Congress. Who CAN look at these
men and forget the yesterday when
Stevens, Reagan, and Johnston
could have been in Washington
only as conquerors or prisoners!
There is another gentleman who
attracts much attention, he has CYL
indrical legs, a globular body, and
his face is like a rose in the sn W of
his hair. He was General Grants
Secretary of the Navy, and it is
SAID he will soon be a senator.
Cox, Conger, Wood, Tucker, Knott.
Frye, but | will close before | have
been accused Of copying the roll OF
the American House Of Commons.