The Evening critic., 1883-05-07
THE CRITIC ABROAD,

gressmen, said gentleman to the Critic
the other day, al can tell you pretty
good story, If you care to hear it."
"Fire away
Well, in the Forty-third and Forty
fourth Congresses, one of the Baltimore
districts was represented by gentleman
whom will only designate as Mr.. o. He
was good fellow in many respects, but he
had his peculiarities, and one of them was
| excessive vanity. He never lost an oppor.
tunity to attract the notice of the galleries,
and it was n curiosity to see his smile OF
satisfaction, when, standing in conspicu-
GUS place on the floor, the Speaker recog-
| nized him by name in such a way that the
| galleries could not help knowing exactly
who the distinguished gentleman was.
| The roll-call, especially on import
ant questions, presented grand
opportunity of which this member was sure
to take advantage. You must know that
the roll-call was then made in a way quite
| different from what it is now. Down to
about the end of Mr.. Colfax's term as
Speaker the call took about three times rs
long as it does now, and for the reason that
after all the names had been called gen.
tleman who had not responded would rise
in his place and the following formula
would be gone through with: Mr.. -:
Mr.. Speaker The Speaker: The gentle
man from -. Were you within the bar
oil the House before the last name on the
roll was calledY If the member responded
in the affirmative the clerk would call his
name and the vote would be recorded.
Sometimes the Speaker would have to re-
peat the formula fifteen or twenty times on
each call. About the end of C0lfax's or the
beginning of Blaine's term as Speaker the
rule was modified so that instead of
putting the question to each member
the Speaker would announce at the close of
each roll-call, Gentlemen who now desire
TO vote will do SO upon the assurance that
they were within the bar before the last
name on the roll was called Then as
members would rise the clerk would call
their names and record their votes. This
was the rule at the time of which l sneak.
The Maryland member was proverbial for
never responding at the proper time He
wonld sit directly in front of the reading
clerk, who, knowing his popularity, would
call his name two or three times. II the
galleries were full and the vote was an i'm
portant one, he would be deaf as post.
Then just as tho Speaker was about to an
nounce the result and everybody was quiet
and anxious to hear, he would appear
IN the area in front of the
Speaker and where everybody could see
him and address that officer. People in the
galleries would crane their necks anxious
to catch every word. The clerk would call
the name, the gentleman would vote and
then he would run his eye over the gal
ieries with an expression which plainly
see what great man am T. Hisambition
was satisfied. The galleries had heard the
distinguished statesmans name aud knew
who he was: Well, this thing was particu-
larly annoying to the gentlemen in the re.
porter's gallery, especially if the vote had
bearing upon financial or commercial in
terests. There they would be all leaning
over above the Speaker paper and pencil in
hand, ready to put tho figures down and
wire them at once to the commercial CEN
tres, when the Maryland members eccen-
tricity would cause a delay sometimes two
OF OF three hte minutes minutes. Finally several
adopt Mrs. Chicks advice and
make an effort to put stop to it.
They accordingly drew up note, which
ran about in this way, You d ID fool,
don't you know that everybody sees
through your game and that you make an
Ass with great big AZ of yourself every
time you stop the announcement of vote
IN order that your name may be called
This was directed to the M. c., and en-
trusted to discreet messenger who was
directed to hand it to one of the door
keepers and never mention where it came
from. The member was sitting in a con-
spicuous place near the main aisle when
the note was delivered. You should have
seen that CoDgressman's face after he read
the missive! 1t seemed to turn from white
to red, from red TO purple and then back
to white again. First he looked around
his immediate neighborhood apparently
apprehensive that some of his fellow-mem-
bers might have caught word or two of
the note. Then he made break for the
doorkeeper who brought it to him. That
Official could not recollect who gave il to
him for delivery. Then he rushed around
to all the other doorkeepers, but they, of
course, knew nothing about it. A con-
sultation with the pages failed to enlighten
him, and for nearly week he tried TO dis.
cover where that note came from, aud /
know from conversation ] had with him
about it that he never for moment sus-
pected the reporters gallery. But
1 tell you that note had a
wonderful effect upon his hearing. 1t cured
his deafness completely. In fact, | have
known him to be standing at one of the
cloak-room doors while there was a terrible
din OF confusion on the floor, but somehow
or other he always heard his name called
and responded. want to add, in Justice
10 the gentleman that he was not the only
one that took that means of making him
selfconspicuous. There were several 9th
ers, and they were cured in somewhat the
same way"
There is row in the Civil Service Com
mission camp. Those darling rnIes which