Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-03-09
WASHINGTON LETTER.
rFrOm osr RsqsLar cOrrap0ndsnt.l

/ y" hohA-NoAb-fs ~ ~ sANhs " ARl-s
People who have visited Washington
DUNG a session Of Congress have, no
doubt, noticed from the galleries OF
either House the little rooms in rear OF
the desks which members visit so often.
These are the "cloak rooms" where Con-
gressmen and Senators deposit their over
coats and hats where they frequently go,
when not interested in the proceedings. to
chat and relax their dignity This last may
perhaps. he said TO apply only to theSen-
ate, for dignity isa thing for which men,
bers of the House are not generally given
much credit. In the Senate chamber
there is cloak room on each side extend
ing from the centre aisle round to the
east and west side doors respectively. If
the walls of these rooms had ears it is
more than likely that they could tell some
good stories of various Senators and
their peculiarities, which have never seen
the light. The Republicans use the room
on their side. of the chamber and the
Democrats the other, and this custom of
division of rights has never been ignored
except in a single notable instance-thst
of Senator Conkling. who always had a
peg in the Democratic room. Nobody
has ever assigned reason why Lord Ros-
coe-once lordly but not now-adopted
the use of this room instead of that on his
side. 1t was always a source of wonder,
especially as he spent less time in the
room than almost any other Republican
Senator. He had a peg nearest to one of
the entrance doors. and rarely stopped
longer than was required TO doff or don
his wraps.
While each has its own room there is
a good deal of neighborly visiting among
members of both parties. Some of the
strongest friendships in the Senate have
been between members of opposite par
ties, like that Of Senators Thurman and
Edmunds, who would pound each other
-metaphorically speaking--in debate
and then retire to refresh from the same
bottle. These two kept particular flask
in the room of the Judiciary Committee,
to which both belonged, and when Allen
G.-the noble old Roman, how we miss
him here-though it was time to inspire
he would give flirt Of that celebrated
bandana, blow his horn, and go out by the
side door. Edmunds would wiggle his
left ear and quietly walk out by another
side door; both roads led to the same COM
mittee room. Concerning the cloak rooms
it is somewhat remarkable fact that is
observed by all visitors to them. that
there is marked difference in the gen.
eral tone and character impaired to the
two. There is more sociability in the
Democratic room than in the other. 1t
seems as though it were easier for Sen
ators to lay aside THAR oppressive dignity
in that room. 1t has been suggested, by
the way of explanation Of this, that the
; most riged sticklers for Senatorial digni-
ty and decorum are on the Republican
side. and that they act as a damper upon
) their less stately associates. The sanity
and hypocritical Hoar and the imperious
Ingalls, would dampen the spirits of most
anything reasonably humane.
| 1t is often said now, that the Senate OF
t the present day does not compare for
t marked ability with the time of Clay,
E Calhoun, Webster, Douglass, and Ben
| ton. nor its proceedings abound in those
t brilliant forcenic displays. This is un.
t doubtedly true. The degcneracy of oul
+ politics into mere scrambles for patron
t age shows itself in our public men-es'
pecially in the dominant party. The rot.
ten borough system introduced by thai
i party, and its tendency towards
, the money power. has made wealth
, the stepping stone to Senatoria
dignity more than in former years. Yet
we have on the Democratic side some
men of brilliant oratorical powers, o
whom Lamar, VOORHEES,, and Vest take
the lead. Senator Edmunds is looked
!, upon by the Republicans as their strong
est debater, as he undoubtedly is, but he
Is in no sense an orator. Something abou
the personal characteristics and pecuiari
ties of past and present Senators would
not be uninteresting. The late Henry
Wilson was called the'Liberty loving ant
: God fearing Wilson owing to his habi
of speaking of the people of Mssachusett.
: in those words. Lamar is sometimes spo
It ken of as the "Sick Hamlet" because o.
8 his philosophical mind and ill health
l. Conkling always used lavender water ir
9 his marble bath and made the Sergeant
e alarms buy the best French soap. 1t wa
! his habit to spend two hours in the Sen
ate bath room daily. Edmunds eat
d cloves. Don Cameron has no peculiari
e ties. He can't make speech, but ha
r wine in his committee room, and is Otter
1 uncivil in his own house. ingalls, is tn
+ thinnest man in Congress, as we'll a
d the noblest in his dress; always has
,e silk handkerchief around his neck an,
generally wears an overcoat in summer
ID Hannibal Hamlin, on the contrary ,neve
r wore an overcoat, and dressed for abou
q twenty years in the same swallow-tai
ot suit of black. Ransom, of North Carolina
a is always pulling down his cuffs, and
Of the most popular man in the Senat
al among his associates. Blaine called ever
lie new acquaintance by his first name with
ht in a week. Bruce, the colored co.leagu
= of Lamar, now Register of the Treasury
ID had habit of getting most too nea
when he talked to you. Kellogg, the las
ic relic of the carpet bagging in the South
ks and that has been the principle of hi
g s. private aNd public life. Beck, of Ker
l. lucky likes hot scotch, and Williams hi
ID ID Senate. David Davis is the largest ma
" in the senate, and is frequently calle
"Old Fatty Davis" to distinguish hir
from the West Virginia Davis, who ha
10 the best head for figures and public det
n statement OF any man in either House c
n Congress. Garland, of Arkansas,is is prot
ably the best lawyer now in the Senate
and one of the best men. Logan looks lik
the Jack of Clubs, and has spent most Q
his time this session in the effort to pen
= sion his friend Grant measure voted fc
by many Democratic Senators becaus
: they feared their motive in doing Other
!. wise would be LITERAL
- bulldozed in doing what every honest
" sensible man knows was needless, ur
;, wise thing. PHoNo.
/ The st Louis (Mo.) Post Dispatch at tn
d close of long article says: In fact s,