The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1886-02-04

Proceedings a Lively P0-
1ftical Fight.
! Editorial Correspondents of the Washington
4 tArk.5 Press.
WAsnINerox, Jan. oath. 1886.
/ Congress enacted M important leg
islation last week. The Senate was
! in session the first four days OF the
week and debated several questions
but without results. Senator Nor
lrill, Of Vermont, made the second
anti.silver speech Of the session, fol
lowing which occurred the liyelIest
cross firing yet witnessed 10 that
body, between Senator'S Morrill, and
Mcpherson on one side and Beck
and Teller on the other Beck in
debate is like mountain torrent,
impetuous and irresistible, and he
who interposes opposition, as Nc
Pherson did, generally meets Nc
Pherson's fate ana Is swept off his
feet and put TO some trouble to re-
gam bis landing.
The House was in session the first
five days of the week, but transact
ed no business OF general interest.
The important work at this stage of
the session is in the committee
rooms, where all the measures tn be
brought before Congress are being
digestcd and prepared. Therefore,
| while the sessions Of either house
are now short and uneyentful, the
members are nevertheless as busy as
they can be.
Since the first day Congress met
the crowd of visitors at the capitol
has hardly diminished. The most
of them are strangers here and the
force OF capitol guides is nearly al
ways employed. Without assistance
Of some sort visit to the capitol by
a stranger is not very satisfactory.
Only special occasions bring out the
residents of the city in large mum
bers. The House is the fayorite
with visitors. Even if there be moth.
ing of interest in the proceedings,
the presence OF the 325 members on
the floor, embracing many of the
most distinguished men OF the coun-
try, invests the scene with lively
and peculiar interest. 1t is a nerv
Gus and excitable body and a "breeze"
IS likely to occur at almost any time.
Consequently It's galleries, with seat
ing capacity OF 5000, are always
fuller than the 1000 seats IN the
Senate galleries. The Senate is
reckoned dull and prosy. There is
too much stiff dignity and formal
courtesy there. Why, saucy re
mark has not been uttered in the
chambers this session, AID such an
occurrence | have no doubt would
almost make the marble columns
shudder with horror. Even Joe"
Blackburn, who, while member of
the House, could raise bigger
breeze on shorter notice than any
other member, seems to have lost
his cunning, and Kenna, who was
one OF the highest memnets of the
House and is the youngest in the
Senate, has not opened his mouth
this session. Bowen has grown mod
est, Hale and Ingall, the meanest
mouthed Republicans there, appear
to have reformed, Malone has the
blues, Van Wyck, dubbed the crank
of the Senate, remains quiet, and
Vest and Voorhees, are evidently
affected by tue prevailing inertia.
Grave Senators drawl out long
speeches from huge rolls OF manu-
script, while others seek relief IN
cigar smoke and pleasant chat in the
magnificently furnished cloak rooms,
and, altogether, we are having a.
''pokey' time over in our end of the
capitol.
was glad, therefore, to haye a
com Portable seat in the House re-
served gallery Friday when the first
political fight of the session occur.
red. Boutelie. of Maine, desired to
investigate certain alleged "outrag-
es' committed by the new Democrat.
ic offices in the Norfolk navy yard
since the 4Lh of March. The Dem.
ocrats were entirely willing TO this,
but, in order TO make the investiga
tion both more interesting and more
complete, proposed to extend it to
the Malone administration there,
also This was more than the Re
pubicans bargaincd for, so they I'M
dertook TO defeat their own resolu
tion: but the Democrats determined
that they should take the physic
they themselves had prepared. BY
refusing to vote the Republicans left
the House without a quorum. So
the doors were ordered closed so no
one present could escape and the
Sergeant alarms was sent after the
absentees. la this way quorum OF
Democrats was obtained aud, after
three hours of Republican filibuster-
ing, debate begun.
Boutelle then proceeded 10 unfold
his bloody shirt and fight the war
over again. Did you ever notice
that the purest essence OF sectional
hatred and general political "cussed-
ness" always comes from Maine?-a
State that did less fighting and
more dodging during the war than
any other IN the Union--This no
doubt accounts Tor its ferceness now. |