The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1881-03-01

A View of the House from the Gal
tba II ,1eri8S. g5Gl. ~ 2 as psa

A View of the House from the Gall
ta u lerieS. 81. 2 gs q s.
From the galleries Of the House OF
Representatives popular government ap,
pears to consist of a confused mass 81
desks and desultory inenTthe. desks iii.
tered with books and papers, and the
men continually walking about in everv
direction; Of vast amount of private
correspondence, q relay of rage boys
obeying Turkish, maedi6cenee OF clap
ped hands from this and that member to
do his errands; and d rnonotonous dron.
ling by the clerks, together with mini
| rnpm Of oratory. ALI this against q
|digiifed hack ground Of cigar smoke
Ito the Hobbies, and OF 'coat-rooms and
barber shops, where Congressmen lounge
land joke, or confer on coming meas.
E,,ssses sLt is also apparent from the
Iamonnt of work done withthe penknifs,
that the House Is determined to have
|o,der as to its finger nails. whatever
may be The fate Of public business in
this RESPECT. You hear some half audi
BILE speaking, but, the general walking,
talking, and rustling suggest how De-
mosihenes, If be had enjoyed the priyi-
Ilege Of q seat in this body, might have
| dispensed with the aid of the sea ''''os' ,
Then q division takes place, and mem
befs pour in from the lohbies, the res
ftaufant, the com mittee rooms, to pass
| like drove of sheep be, ween two ,el.
|lers The efforts Of inexperienced or
uoimportaot members to get after. ion
are pathetic One is perpetlsily sway.
gering about, bat never speaks; another
gets DIP and murmurs, but being ignored
lby all parties, sits down, with a. ebassly
disappointment, and tries to look as ii
he lid not feel he was being looked st !;
another, with Chadband hair. rises for
information, asking in q bland voice d
Question 81 needless that some one on
The other side answers 1t, to save the
Speakers time. and, Chadband, after
svavihg uncertainty on his toes for on
instant, subsidies SO abruptly that he
can't at once recover. the use O. his
limbs sufficiently 10 steal away toward a
cloak room Yet st almost any mo
fment, except in the .'morning hour" and
on tprivate bill day.. an exciting and
masterly discussion may begin, which
promptly fills the chairs and enchaina
every listener The general demeaior
OF the House, too, is more business.
like, excepting for the amount Of preoc-
cupation,. than that of the House oi
Commons. Those who come to look
on, with fmaginations trained by history
aud the press, are grieyed to 60 away
without seei1g q single member spring
at snother's throat, or even call him q
liar g The bomegeneiiy OF the faces and
lpersons on the q ,or is another point for
remark. 1T Is clear that Americans are
Americans,, however wide apart their
Iabodes may De, and It occurs tu one tha,
1if the representatives OF different sec
|tipas were TO get hopelessly mixed up
Lsnd changed about some day, IT would
tproduce no incongruity so far as theil
outward appearance is concerned. To
imagine these comfortable gentlemen ar,
rayed in their frock.coats Of identical
make, on opposite sides in civil war,
nr as the lawgivers Of separate copfed-
eracies, would be groiesque, II the real.
Fifty q few years ago had not been &C
tragic A few distinctions of East and
South and West may perhaps be traced
In the physiognomies, but individual pc.
culisrities assert themselves far more
strongly Tue man OF the people, with
Ibis Indifferent neck.tie and "weli- net
manner, the snug, iwelI-to.do hwver;
the sselegant speaker; ]" the richest mem
bers, with heads partially bald and faces
scanned with fine wrinkles, wearing d
look of long resignation to the coIlec-
tion of dividends; or the plethoric, 70.
I BY faced man who gains his point by
private Cbampaigne rather than public
speech the quiet gentleman Of refined
manners; aud the CORY antagonist--all
these, and other types besides, may be
sharply tifscrimiDated without regard to
State or : geographical lines. 1t has
grown to be the fashion to cay tina,
Congress accomplishes nothing except
10 disturb trade. but II that is so, |. is
not. due to idIeness Accomplishing
nothing was never before so laborious .
task. House members are the busies,
people in the country, witiI their caucus
es, their incessant committee meetings
tbeir speeches and pteparation, theil
dense correspondence with constituents
and interviews with visitors. The House
ton, tnrns out q vast amount Of work
its committees heing efficient agencie:
for transacting business, sy.gss
Every ;dav you find in the Documen
room. fresh armful of newly prin, ef
bills, many. OF which are, trash,to lie sure
but harmless The real and great liefec
of the popular branch 10 its fatal capac
lity for distorting, maimiag er destroyiu.
good measures ms,ured jim committee
|bv unforeseen am endmenf carried j
genera debate. !, "A few lsptahle .en 5ct
/ ments, however. al WAYS survive this, s,sen
leral massacre Of infant hills sa,d W
linus remember that the amendment q
ten represent a wholesome, watchfulpes
against speclal class or7private legisIa
tion.- Whatever the, evils of Congress
finally, they are faithful leae lions OF ,h
svarice, ambition, or low sense Of horp
lin the. communities there rep -esente !
and the ne ppie do no. do wisely 10 snee