The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1883-03-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent)
Feb. 81, 1883.

WASH1NGTON, Feb. II, 1888.
At eleven O'clock this morning
when the President of the Senate le'
fall the gavel calling the Senate te
order and devotion, I counted thir-
teen senators at their seats, most C
whom rose to their feet, and with
heads duly bowed apparently fol
lowed the chaplain through his pray
er; while others gave evidence of ths
total neglect of their early piety b5
retaining their seats, not even del
ing to withdraw their eyes from the
newspapers in their bands. AS soor
az the prayer ended other undevo-
tional senators came struggling te
their places. Evidently senators are
not much under Lenten influence
The galleries of the Senate and
House are visited every day now by
An unusually large number of those
transient sight-seers with which
Washington is perennially thronged
all eager to be eye witnesses of the
real workings of the American con
gress. Of course they hear nothing
| but the discussion OF the all absorb
ing tariff question. After listening
to the debate for several hours they
go away, and doubtless inquire of the
first person to whom they dare con-
fde their ignorance, a la General
Hancock: "Who is Tariff, and what
does be want With revenue only ?"
These spectators take much inter-
est in the scenes below, are especially
anxious TO know the names of con-
gressmep, and show much amuse-
ment at the little tiIts and spats
that they indulge in so often, not be-
cause OF the fine quality of these re-
torts, but visitors have preconceived
ideas Of the gravity of statesmen and
cannot but be surprised to see them
descend so readily to triviaiity. The
House gallery in particular is the
worst conceivable place for expand
iug ones volume of national pride.
1t permits that close contact with
real congressman that inevitably re-
suits in disappointment. U. S. con-
gressmen have never been noted for
dignified department., finished man
ners, courtesy or elegance of any
kind, but there are some rules Of or
dinary decency that they should feel
required to observe. They should
not be allowed during sessions to
lounge and take maps On sofas,
smoke, elevate their feet above their
heads, sit with their backs to the
speaker, or defy his utmost efforts to
make a member heard. They do
not seem to feel in the least impress
ed with the Importance of time, even
in the present stress, and on the
slightest provocation will turn aside
from business to wrangle illnaturedly
over some insignificant point, and in
their efforts to get even hurl school
boy epithcts in lieu OF logic. The
Senate of course is more quiet, order
ly, dignified, and respectful. But
even their little scenes of daily oc
curence, prove Q. s. senators to be
"not the shrinking creations of cul-
ture" they might have been, and per-
sons entering these halls of legisia-
tion under the influence of a sur
charge of national imitation are in
danger of leaving the capitol more
impressed by the grandeur of its plan,
architecture, paintings, and sculpture,
than by the force, power, aud dig
nifty of our national statesman.
The tariff debate brings constantly
to the surface the humiliating fact
that the minds and votes of congress
men are much more powerfully infiu-
enced by local than by national in
terests. Almost every man wants
the highest possible protection for
the interests of his state, and the low
est possible duty upon every article
consumed, but not produced, by his
people. The men who shout the
loudest for free trade sqnirm the
most when an industry in which they
are personally interested is attacked.
The supremacy of money in behalf of
priuate rather than national inter
ests has been the bane of tariff legis-
lation all the time, and there has