The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-06-19
sTATEsMEN,s WIVES.
How They Watch Their Lords from
the Capitol Galleries.

the Cap1COI 61IAer1cS.
1t was in order to limit the space
which loafers of the most Objectionable
character used to daily fill the House
gallery several years ago that the
House of Representatives decided to
set apart certain portions of the gallery
to be reserved for those who had cards
of admission thereto, niven them by
the members. One gallery is exclu-
sively for the families of Represents
tives, or those whom they and their
wives regard as such.
One Representative said, at the time
it was decided to reserve this gallery,
that it was done so that the members
could know exactly in what part of the
gallery their wives were likely to be,
so they would know which way to
dodge if they wished to avoid their
gaze. When Lent comes, as they have
more leisure from social duties, ladies
of the families of members of both
houses of Congress have more time to
spend in the galleries of the House or
Senate, and wives are often interested
spectators of scenes upon the floor of
either chamber. Some of them become
much absorbed in the bills in which
their husbands are especially interested
and their faces show their chaglin or
triumph in the course of debate. One
of them whose husband had been suf-
fering severely with bronchitis when
he was forced to go to the House to
look after bill of great Importance in
his district, used to go there daily a
few weeks ago while there was a pros
pect for the bill coming up, and carried
with her box of quinine pills. and
regularly sent from her seat in the
members gallery" an affectionate
band on the floor of the House when
the time arrived for him to take it.
Thus she strove to brace him up in the
same spirit as the Spartan wives equip
ped their husbands for battle. The day
his bill was voted down she had waited
for several hours with satchel contain
ing the pill-box in hand, and as soon
as the vote was announced, which was
against her husband, she arose indig-
nantly, packed up the medicine and
went home with lessened faith in its
bracing effects.
The wives, of course, do not fail to
watch from the gallery the demeanor
of their respective husbands in their
seats below. especially when cards are
brought in to the latter. One lady will
say to another: ''There goes card to
your husband; wonder if it is lady or
gentleman wants to see him. There
he goes out; let's see how long he stays
and then we can tell whether it is
man or woman. There he comes in
again, SO it must have been man who
WAS waiting for him; he'd have stayed
longer if it had been q woman, GER
tainly."
While some of the incidents in this
gallery are highly amusing. others are
very annoying. For instance, lately,
u loving wife who was listening intent
lv to her husband s speech, heard Ia
dy behind, who was probably unaware
o. her presence. say: .Is that Smith
speaking again now? 1t seems to me
that he is always talking and yet has
nothing to say"
An all night session of the United
States House of Representatives espec-
tally when it is occasioned by a dis
cussion which requires either political
party to muster its full strength, and
cause u ''call of the House" to be or
dered, and the Sergeant-at-Arms to be
instructed 10 bring in absentees, al
ways has some ludicrous features out
side the hall. as we'll as some produc-
tive of annoyance to the families of the
members of the House, as much as to
themselves. During such night ses-
sion not long ago, the wife of one of the
colored Representatives was left alone
in the members gallery until q late
hour at night, all occupants of that gal
lery having left for home in the early
part of the night. She could not go
home alone, and her hus band, who was
on the floor of the House, was locked
in, SO he could rot leave to take her
home. 1t is the custom, as soon as the
call of the house is ordered, to lock all
doors of exit or entrance to tho legis-
lative hall, not only to prevent those
members who are in from going away
without permission of the House, but
also to prevent those absent without
leave getting in except in the custody
of the Sergeant-at-Arms, who has been
ordered TO arrest them and bring them
to make their EXCUSES ut the bar of the
House. 1t was not until the colored
representative had obtained the formal
leave of the House to go home with his
wife (and he promised to return as
soon as he had done SOY that he could
join her in the gallery and accompany
her to their residence.-W Washington
Letter to Courier-J0u91aGl.