The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-03-09
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondents.
WASHINGTON, DC.
R q 1000 e

From our Regular Correspondent. /
WASHINGTON, DC. +
March, 6, 1882.
People who have visited Washing
ton during a session of Congress
have, no doubt, noticed from the
galleries of either House the little
rooms in the real of the desks which
members visit so often. These are
the s'cloak rooms" where Congress
men and Senators deposit their over
coats and Lats when they come IN,
AID where they frequently 60, when
not interested in the proceedings, to
chat and relax their dignity. This
last may, perhaps, be said to apply
only to the Senate, for dignity is a
thing for which members of the
House are not generally given much
credit. In the Senate chamber there
is a cloak room on each side extend
ing from the centre aisle round to
the east and west side doors respec-
lively. If the walls of these rooms
bad ears 1T is more than likely that
th2y could tell some good stories OF
various Senators and their peculiar
tiles. which have seen the light.
The Republicans S the rooms on
their side of the chamber and the
Democrats the other, and rhis Gus
tom of division of rights has v
been ignored except in a single nota-
BILE instance-that of Senator Con
king, who always had q peg in the
Democratic room. Nobody has ever
assigned q reason why Lord Roscoe
-once lordly but not now-adopted
the use of this room instead of that
ON his own side. 1t was always a
source of wonder, especially as he
spent less time in the room than al
most any other Republican Senator.
He he'd a peg nearest to n of the
entrance doors, and rarely stopped
longer than was required to dotf or
don his wraps.
While each had its own room there
is a good deal of neichborly visiting
among members of both parties
Some of the strongest friendships in
the Senate have been between mem,
bers of opposite parties, like that OF
Senators Thurman and Edmunds,
who would pound each other-meta
phorically speaking-in debate and
then entire to refresh from the same
bottle. These two kept a particular
flask in the rooms of the Judiciary
Committee, to which both belonged,
on u-han A no1 a thu nnhlQ old
Roman, how we miss him here
thought it was time TO inspire he
would give a firt of that celebrated
handana, blow his Eorn, and 60 out
: by :he side door. Edmunds would
| wiggle his left ear and quietly walk
, out Gy another side door; but both
roads led to the same committee
, room. Concerning the cloak rooms
it is O somewhat remarkable fact that
is observed by all visitors to them
that there is q marked difference il
/ the general tone and character i'm
, parted to the two. There is more
s~ociabiiity in the Democratic room
than in the other. 1t seems as though
l it were easier for Senators to lay
e aside their oppressive dignity in tina
: room. 1t has been suggested, by
Y way of explanation of this, that thu
most rigid stieklers for Senatorial
= dignity and decorum are On the Re
d publican side, and that they act as
!, damper upon their less stately asso
%ciates. The sanity and hypocritica
! Hoar and the imperious ingalls,
would dampen the spirits of mos
anything reasonably humane.
9 1t is often said now, that the Sen
ate of the present dsy does not com
: pare for marked ability with the tim,
e OF Clay, Calhoun, Webster, Doug
lass, and Benton, nor its proceeding
e abound in those brilliant forceni
4 displays. This is undoubtedly true
The degeneracy of our politics int
u mere scrambles for patronage show
'e itself in our public men-especiall.
u in the dominant party. The rottel
h borough system introduced by tina
party, and its tendency towards tn
; money power, has made wealth tn
; stepping stone to Senatorial dignit
q more than in former years. Yet W
have on the Democratic side som
l. men of brilliant oratorical powers, @
whom Lamar, Voorhees,, and Yes
take the lead. Senator Edmunds
looked upon by the Republicans a
r. their strongest dehater, as he IN
IS doubtedly is, but he is in TO sens
/, an orator.. Something about the pei
!; sonal characteristics and peculiar
ties of past and present Senator
would not be embarrassing. The lat
D Henry Wilson was called the "Libel
ty-loving a.: God fearing Wilson
# owing to his habit of speaking of th
people Of Massachusetts, in thos
e words. Lamar is sometimes spoke
g of as the Sick Hammet' because G
his philosophical mind and i'll heatl
Conkling always used lavender waite
in his marble bath and made th
Sergeant alarms buy the bes
French soap. 1t was his habit
spend two hours in the Senate bat
:. room da ly. Edmunds eats cloves
IL Don Cameron has no p~eculiaritie
is He can't make speech, hutL%s Vii
r in his committee room, and is ofte
GO u"ncivil in his own house. Ingalls,
the thinest man in Congress, as VT
nc as the nobliest in his dress; AWAY
ls- has a silk handkerchief around h
is neck and generally wears an owe
nc coat in summer. Hannibal IIam'i.
on the contrary, never wore an o1t
" coat, and dressed for about tweni
u.s. years in the same swallow tail su
&C. of black. Ransom, of North Carol
ty, ma, is always pulling down his cuff
re and is the most popular man in tt
Senate among his associates. Blair
called every new acquaintance by h
lie first name within a week. Bruc
to the colored colleague of Lamar, no
,e- Register of the Treasury, had a ha'
it of getting most too near when |
- talked to you. Kellogg, the last re