National Republican., 1880-03-23
CAPITOL COURTESIES.
A Woman's Experience in the Legis-
latiYe Precincts.
ofthe House " "Reception-Room
for Ladies' "A Mere Public Corridor
Visit 20 the GaiIeries-A Neglect
fuI Doorltceper's Sudden Vigil
lance - Snobbory OF tho
PubIic's Servants.
A Reciprocity of Ducenoy Demanded.
WAsHIsdToN. d. G.; March %, 1880


to, and also TO call attention to tho cncroaGh.
monts Of the House OH the prorogatives OF tho
people.
In my occasional visits to Washington moth.
ing has struck me more furcibly than tho i'm
piled dlscourtesy aud suspicion manifest at The
Capitol toward women, especially from the
House side.
II has been my unhappy experience to be
obliged tO wait In that public corridor Of the
House. graciously dubbed "rnCeption room for
womon," exposed not only to rude siares, but
cod draughis from doorways, aud while awnt.
ing the response to my card, have not been
an ummOved spectator TO the rulcncss dis
played toward women. Not only employees
are ofttinics discourtoous, but every masculine
| tramp who has the entrce without LEI or him
drdnco stops at that entrance to insolently
Oglo the women therein.
The taxes OF women contribute largely to-
ward sustaining all branches of this Govern
| ment-womcn on legitimate crrands go to tho
| halls of lpgislatiOn-and thOy have as unds.
puted right to part of tho building for tho
| transaction of their business MS have men, free
| from insulting inputatiOns.
The New York Tribune Of Saturday porti-
| ncntly says that we do not elect rulers, we
| select instruments to carry out the wishes of
| tho people.
visit to the galleries of tho House of
Representatives might disabusc the Tribune
| of its Utopian imagination.
| fow days since, went to the ladies' gal
| lcry of tho House, heretofore situated on the
right of the Diplomatic Corps.
1t has been my custom to sit there when
ever in Washington, aud not being aware of
| new rulcs' and no doorkoepor present at tho
time wc entered, we took seats in bissiul
ignorance of tho autoCracy which had been
| inauguraLed.
A page appeared to inform us that tho OK.
trome opposite side OF tho gallery was for
ladcs-that we were occupying the sanctuary
of the President and Cabinet officers.
| As one of the ladies WAS not we'll, and wo
designed staying but short tirie, and as All
| nundation of officials was not imminent,
we declined taking tho tour of the galleries,
but informed the page we would leave rs soon
as the then speaker was through. But the
dignity of the House was threatened by three
females in an unoccupiod gallery, nud the
| doorkocper, who was of guard when we ELL
tered, proposed to nuke amends for his neglect
of duty by enforcing tile rules" strictly and
| demanded our immediate retreat. As an
! American taxpayer, / protest against this
suobbery in republic.
II tho seats which we had innocently aud in
advertcntly taken had been needed by tho
President or his Cabinet, mono would have
heen more ready to accord them the courtesy
than the ladies occupying them; and if, in tho
history OF this country, a President had ever
been known TO occupy a seat in the gallery Of
either House, the especial setting apart of
n compartment for him would have carried
some weight, provided, also, we were under II
monarchy, aud not a Democracy. But we are
supposed to bo living in II republic. Tho
President, Cabinet and the entire Congress
arc but the servants of tho people, chosen TO
execute the wishes OF their creators-not 10
erect barriers of superiority to themselves.
They have no more right TO n select portion
| of the galleries than any other citiHuus; and
/ large d
| to their use, present or absent, is productive
| Of mischief in many directions tho least OF
which is arrogance on the part Of the bene-
ilGiary, aud indignation Oh the part Of the citi-
zen, who Is made to feel that he is q suspicious
character or arrant criminal If by chance be
strays within the sacred iuclosure. 1t is n
species of kow towing and salaamiug toward
officials, bordering on the sycophantism of u
monarchy, which every lover OF freedom
should earnestly combat.
During Mr.. Blaine's Speaker,hip the first
step was taken toward this exCIusvoncsi by
setting apart the front seat Of tho right di.
vision of the Members gallery for The use of
the Speakers family. And, whatever the cir
cumstances might be, every other Members
family was implied on openly regarded rs n
trespasscr or hirelnS. / have seen dignifah
men and women incOntineully hustled out of
the seat--nadvertently iakcn-on tho tardy
arrival of tho Speakers family, or delicate
ing during hose exciting debates with that
seat vacant, because reserved for tho possible
arrival of those who were no moro entitled to
it than tho others.
This wholly unwarranted prerogative was
introduced by a Republican Congress enforced
by the demand of the Speaker. And now n
Democratic House oncroaches still further by
limiting almost tho entire galleries to one de-
partment or another.
We have entire sections set apart, as n sug.
gcslive menace to those who create Presidents
and Representatives that republiGanlsm
means cxolusiveness for the servants of the
people aud outlawry aud discomfort FOR those
who create them
Reservation for tho Diplomatic Corps Is en-.
tirely just aud proper, MS, in certain sense,
! they are onr guests, and do not cxemTify tho
spirit Of our institutions; but, further than
| this, the galleries arc the public domain of
those who. by their taxes, built them, and by
whose suferanCo tho members sit upon tho
| floor.
All enforced distinctions aud supcrcilous
! divisions arc a libol on tho expressed princ-
| pies Of this Government, aud should ba throt-
| tied IN their infancy, ero they reach the quag-
nire that leads to thrones.
The galleries arc for tho people to overlook
! the deliberations of their representatives.
! Respect for the Courtesies of life, reverence
| for humanity As man and woman, Is all that
is demanded by way of rules and regulations"
for the public aud a reciprocity Of deceucy in
conduct for Representative and constituent
alike demanded,
| II 1t is in order for doorGeeper in the gal
! lery to oust man for ndeGenoy OF attitude
aud smoking. compel the same rule to be rec
I gguIsed on tho loOr Aud ii boor deber-
alely insults his constituents, and violates tho
sanctites OF the temple OF justice by lying
prone upon his back in the assembly'ro0m
and putting tobacco poison into their lungs, or
whose conduct rsproaches the divine reverence
for womau-mado sacred by all motherhood
let the doorkeeper of the hearts and con-
sciences ofan outraged people collar him, and
toss him into an everlasting oblivion
All other proscrlptiye rights aud reserved
prorogatIyes presided over by oilcous hire
! lings are unworthy the great problem we aro
| striving to solve, viz, the outhroned dig.
! nifty of tho human soul, unfcttered save
| through the freedom Of choice. Pardon the
| length of this criticism but as woman has
no other avenue Of expression sayo tho cour.
tesy of the press, she perhaps trenches on
| your space.
But permit me to say TO my sex In closing,
! that | hopo no woman will refrain from 20.
! ing to tho Capitol because Of its present dis.
tasteful conditions. Womau's taxes aided to
build the grand temple to human liberty,