The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-02-26


aud Their Testimo ony are Received by the
COMMITTEES -Qnakers In Congross-' he
Demand for Pablic uildinEs--Arthurs
Chances fer Reconstruction.
Especial Corr respondenee Of the Press1
WASHINGTON, Feb. rs.
The room Of the ways and means committee
OF the House Is an interesting study just now.
For the last week the committee has been
hearing Arguments from representatives of the
various industries affected by proposed tariff
changes. II anybody supposes that the tariff
question is not an absorbing one to those
personally affected, he will soon discover his
mistake by visit to theWsys and Means COM
mittse. The room Is very large one and in any
other building but the Capitol it would seem
rather large one, but 1t Is always crowded.
long table stretches through the centre of
the room at which sit the thirteen members Of
the committee, and around the room are strewn
chairs and sofas and desks and tables in q
promiscuous way. The room is always crowd
ed. Go in at any hour Of any day when
the committee Is in session and you will find
standing room only" Morrison the chair
man OF the committee sits at the end OF the ta-
BILE opposite the door so tsat he can see the Wis
iCors as they enter. He twists himself about
other. then upon the table, and lolls back in
bis chair as the axguments presented grow in
teresting or otherwise to him. He is by no
means dignified chairman. Looking over
the committee he would be the last man you
would light upon az its probable head. His
careless, Indifferent, undignified manner is
In strong contrast with the dignifed Hscock,
or the noted protectionist Mckinley Of Ohio,
Who sits near the other end Of the table. Mills
of Texas sits next to Morrison, on his right
his ronnd head looking aout through q very
struggling mass of Rreyish hair and his short
grey moustache pulled and twisted In sll direc
tions. Senator-elect Joe Blackburn, sits next
10 him, keen Of eye and loud of voice, as usual,
Joe is getting little bald, too, but his bald
ness does not in the least affect his keenness.
Hard OF Ohio, the prince Of free-traders, some
times sits next TO Blackburn and sometimes on
the other side Of tho table at Morrison's left.
His is > round bullet head like Mili's black
hair, dark mustache, keen eye and very low
SHIRT collar. Next to him when he sits on
Morrison's left Is Abe Hewitt, who hoped
that Peter Cooper might become famous as
Abe Hewitt's father-in-law." He is not dis
tfngulshed looking person when you see him
in his chair in the ways and means committee
room. He is small and grey and thin hair and
scrawny beard aud pervous and wiry. The
chairs are large and Mr.. Hewitt is small and
altogether he is not so comfortable looking As
bis colleague Frank Biscock, who, big and
well-dressed and handsome, fills the chair
near the other end OF the table aud Ellis it well,
too. Hiscock, however, is not quite fifty years
old, while Hewitt is sixtY-two and it is still
possible that the handsome Frank may be
as nervous, and grey, and bald as Hewitt is BY
the time he atsains that age. Kelley, of Penn
sylyania, scatIers himself about promiscuously.
DE is the father of the House," aud the
champion of protection, and the Oldest man in
the committee, and be is granted great many
privileges. Sometimes he sits up at the Re-
publican end OF the table, along with Hiscock
and Mckinley and Russell; sometimes he
plants himself right down opposite Morrison,
IN the very midst of the free trade camp, with
a heroism that must make his most bitter enc
mics his admirers Tall and slim, with iron
grey hair and Bcrawny beard, unhandsome and
keen, bat bowed with the weight OF seventy
years, he is still fall OF vigor and fire when you
touch upon the question of tariff. His voice is
strong and not harsh, and his manner is that of
man who knows what he is talking about
Mckinley il the hsndsomest, or at least one of
the handsomest men in the committee, plump
and smooth-faced, and boyish; well dressed
and keen-eyed, and always respectful. He has
the appearance of being the youngest member
OF The committee. He celebrates his for tieth
birthday on the 26th of this month, while his
colleague, Hurd, is nearly 43. Morrison is 5S
Mills about the same, though be does not give
bis age In the Congressional Directory. Bloant
who also oonceais his age, is probably 30;
Blackburn IS. Hewitt g. Kelley 10 next
month, Herbert 30 In March, Jones 49, Kasson
62, Russell 50. Kzsson sits next to Hiscock at
the end OF the table next the door, and you
would never think from his manner or appear
Ance that he Is past the age of three-score. He
u quick, keen-syed, intelligent and rather
handsome, and always polished in his manner.
RUSSELL of Massachusetts,, Herbert OF Alabama,
aud Jones of Arkansas. are very quiet men,
bers Of the committee. They have had COM
parativelY little experience Ia this particular
held, and being all very modest mon they sit
back and seldom ask questions of ths geutls-
men who appear before the committee.
The time Of the committee is now taken up
in hearing arguments from representatives OF
the industries likely TO be affected by the pro-
posed change in the tariff. Each Of those who
appear for this purpose 10 OF course expert in
his particular limo. Each one has TO place his
seat at the enc of the table opposite the chair
man and deliver his arguments. The members
OF the committee listen and interject questions
as they see fit as the argument proceeds. II he
10 An importer and argues in favor of the re-
ducton OF the tariff, the Republicans ply him
with questions intended TO confase him and
break down his arguments, while if he is
manufacturer and wants more protection the
Democrats whack him roundly with free trade
theories and questions bearing upon the effect
which his proposition would have upon labor
and the general welfare of the country.
Usually before the arguments degenerate into
regular debating society with a decided
political favor, and the gentleman who sp-
pears in the war OF oratory and with the pur-
pose OF presenting q studied argument Is
treated In about the manner usually accorded
witness in q police court. AL sorts of
puzzlng questions and cross-questions are
fuDg at bis head from all sorts OF standpoints,
and his knowledge Of the condition of trade
and labor, and manufacturing and all sorts of
industries In all parts of the world are
thoroughly discussed, and II he happens to be
lacking in information upon any of these
topics he is mercilessly handled by the oppo-
nents of the various theories which he pre-
sents and tries to support. Hewitt Ia perhaps
the most prolific In questions OF this sort, and
a f.x wx.sw. - II
himself into higher state Of excitement than
that which halt hour Of cross-questioning
gives to the average expert in the hands OF
the entire committee. Hscock and Rasson do
most OF the questioning for the Republicans,
Wills Hewitt, and Mills and Hurd shake up
the experts most from the Democratic end of
the table. The ordeal through which 40 ex-
pert passes in the hands of the Ways aud
Means Committee upon any topic upon which
there is wide difference of opinion is a very
trying one, and he usually retires wondering
whether he ia the same man who went into
that committee room or somebody else.
QuAxkRs II CONGRESS.
81 was very much pleased with thy remarks
friend said," Congressman Chacs to plain
looking man In the corridor of the House after
one OF the meetings Of the Ways and Means
Committee. ri think thee presented the facts
very clearly and effsctually."
IL 40 HOt oFoty uAy you ushH tuls SSuhkcK
speech from q member OF Congress and in such
place. Chace is Of good old Quaker stock
and clings TO the-Qusker customs and costume
He wears a straight close buttoned black coat
OF Quaker cut and though he does not admins
ter the "thees" and "thous' in his conversa-
tion with the public generally he cliugs to
them when he meets one of his own creed
Ben Butterworth was another Congressman
equally strict in this particular. "Ben and /
always talked in the plain, staid Quaker lan-
guage, "said descendant of . Well-known
Quaker family OF Ohio to your correspondent
recently. "It Is 'thes' and thou aud thy
aud yea and may with Ben when he meets
other Quakers and In his family as WE'LL"
sis tnat custom kept up among the Quaksrs
today as it was years ago2"
"Yes, among themselves In Intercourse one
with another; of course 1t is not in their gener-
al Intercourse with tho p1blic outside Of their
churches and social circles, and they cling to
it with wonderful tcnacity at home and am ong
themselves and carry it into their families and
social circles generally"
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The annual raid on the treasury by those de-
string public buildings is fully under way.
About one hundred and fifty buildings in vari-
ous parts of the country have been asked for.
Before the House committee alone the number