The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-13
SAYING AND DOING.
The Troubles and Annoyances Encountered
in Trying to See Senator.


The Troubles and Annoyances Encountered
in Trying to See Senator.
Washington Special.
1t is simple thing to say that you will go up
to the Capitol and have talk with your friend
Senator Gooseberry, but it is not such an easy
thing to do. You are all right until you get al
most into the Senate chamber, and then your
troubles begin. In the first place. very few peo
pie are allowed to 60 in on the floor of the cham
her, High officers of the government members
of Congress and Governors of States, and few
other people distinguished in one way or another
are allowed to 60 in and out very much as they
choose. But the rest of the world must content
themselves with sitting IN the galleries and
locking down on the wise men below. Well,
one can see that these restrictions are per-
fectly proper, especially when viewed in
the light of the defective rules of the past,
when almost anybody could get into the
Senate chamber if he only knew member of
the Senate. But you have no desire to 60 on
the floor. You simply wish to speak with your
friend, the senator, for a few moments Gan
you do IT'D If you have arrived in the Senate
in time to hear morning prayer you will have to
wait until 2 o'clock before you can even send in
your card. This is one of the new ideas which
Edmunds introduced when he became President
pro tempore. His theory is, suppose, that dur
ing the morning hours, when much miscellaneous
business is DONE every senator should be in
his seat But, of course, this theory fits the
facts no better than theories usually do. The
facts are that senators are everywhere but in
their seats or where you want them to be.
They never stray into the galleries by any acct
dent while you are sitting there 1t is very
tantalizing to see them moving around in and
out of cloakroo and now and then put
ting on their coats and hats and going off
as though they had no intention of returning.
Let US suppose that you have waited patiently
until o'clock Now you can see your friend.
Can youla Try at the west door Of the Senate.
They will not take in your cards Now the
south door. The President of the Senate has
forbidden them to take in your card or that of
anybody else, except government officials. Go
around to the east door. Before this is very
handsome room-large, we'll lighted, with fres-
coed walls and ceiling and tiled floor, fine rugs,
and furniture, and with the general air of a
private reception-room. This is the rendezvous
every day for the hundreds Of distressed, dscon-
tented men and women, who think that Congress
can heal all their woes. At the door leading
into the corridor behind the Senate chamber
stand half dozen door keepers and messengers
To one of these you give your card. He writes
the name Of your senatorial friend ian this
sends it in. 1t passes through half a dozen
hands. Meanwhile you possess your soul as pa
tiently as possible on one Of the expensive Sofas
or you look out between the expensive curtains
through the expensive window at the expansive
view Possibly the last of the half dozen officials
who successfully handle your card may happen
to catch your senator. Then the senator, If he
is gentleman, sends you verbal invitation to
come through the lines and take rocking chair
in the big marble room" just behind the Senate,
0f ha INN civ in hiuU
ton But the chances are ten to one that by the
time that message gets to you through the half
dozen or dozen people who literally handle 1T,
it may be distorted, or you may have grown
weary and gone away, or the senator may have
| given up all hope of seeing you and gone to
| lunch. Perhaps you may get the invitation; per-
| haps you may get through the guards aud iRto
| the great marble room;' perhaps you may sit
by old Gooseberry's side in sociable low rocker
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