Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-03-19
The unIred Sis,es ssnare.

A writer in Harpers Weekly gives the
following facts about an interesting bodys
"The Senate never dies" This is the par
liamentary way of saying that the terms
Of Office of the Senator'S or Of any large
number of them, never expire simultan-
rously, as the terms of all the members Of
the House of Representatives expire every
two years. The Senate does its work with
that prodigality of leisure which only an
immortal body can assume TO have, and
with dignity that is the despair of the
boisterous body which sits in the other
end of the Capitol. The Senate Chamber,
with only seyenty-s!x members, Is not
crowded as the House is with three hun
bred and twenty-five. The seats are
further apart, the aisles are never jammed,
as the aisles of the House always are, and
Senators move about from one side of the
Chamber TO the other with freedom, with
out causing confusion or detracting from
the dignity of the proceedings. Groups
of them carry on conversations in an
under-tone while mere routine business
engages the Senate, and sometimes us
many as half the seats are vacant, when
all the Senators are within hearing OF the
Clerk if he should call the roll. Nor does
the Senate have to cramp itself with a
multiplicity of rules which restrict the in
dividual liberty of Senators.
As rule, deliberative bodies never find
time for elaboration, and 10 this rule the
Senate is one of the few exceptions Sena-
tors not only deliver set speeches on sub
jects under consideration without Il limit
on their time, but if there be any other
subject on which Senator wishes TO be
heard, he can make occasion for q speech
by introducing a resolution and speaking
to it. There is therefore all the opportunity
for oratory that the popular tradition as
sociates with Legislative bodies in general.
There are always several Senators who
seldom rise from their seats except 10 dc
liver carefully prepared orations Others
are working Senators, who seldom give
formal notice. as the orators do, that 'io-
morrow l shall ask leave to address the
Senate" on such and such q subject
Nearly all the set orations are thus an
nounced in advance, and II stranger can
always know by the number of persons in
the galleries on any morning whether
great speech is to be delivered on that
day.
The rules of the Senate exclude all per-
sons from the floor while it is in session,
except members, members of the
House, and other high officers, but
Senators can admit their private score
taries by card. If the phrase 'private
secretaries" includes newspaper cores
pondents, friends Of Senators, and rromi-
nent visitors to the Capitol this is simply
an evidence of the elasticity of parliament
tary phraseology. When DR.. Oliver Wen
dell Holmes entered the Chamber one day
just before the holiday recess, some one
asked how he gained admission. "Oh,"
said Senator Evarts che is my private
secretary" When the Senate goes into
executive session to discuss treaties or
nominations made by the President, no
one but Senators IS admitted either to
the floor or to the galleries.
On the left side of the Chamber which
is the Republican side, Senator Edmunds
is the most notable figure. He occupies
one of the seats in the front row little to
the left Of the centre. The late Senator
Anthony occupied the djacent seat on one
side, and Senator Logan occupies the one
on the other side. MIR Edmunds has now
had longer continuous term Of service
than any of his associates. In 1865 lie
was appointed to fill an uncXpired term,
and lie has been returned 1t every success
sive Senatorial election. Mr.. Sherman
entered the Senate five years earlier but
the continuity of his service was inter
rupted for four years, during which he
was secretary of the Treasury under
President Hayes. 1t is noteworthy that
he is the only member Of the Senate who
was member during the war. There are
several Senator's, however, who were
members of the House before 1861 and
between 1861 and 1868. Mr.. Salisbury,
of Delaware, has been member Of the
Senate consecutively since 1871, and
Mr. Logan's first term began at the same
time, but for two years 1879, he WAS
not q member. The youngest member of
the Senate is Senator kcnna, of West Vir-
ginia, who, when he took his seat i'll 1888,
was only thirty-ive years of age. OF tho
members on the Democratic side of the
Chamber, Senator Voorhees, and Senator
Beck, by the statue and by the frequency
of their speaking, are among the first to
become familiar to visitors Senator
Brown occupies the most conspicuous seat
on that side, the first one directly in front
of the chair, and Senator Hampton, who
has one of the most imposing and familiar
faces in the whole Chamber, sits in the
hindmost seat of all
The dignifed formula Of the Senatorial
speech are not always rigidly used in the
cOmmittee-rooms and coat rooms. While
one Senator is delivering a philosophical
or statistical Grafton to the country or to
his party groups of others will be enjoy
ing cigars and jokes just beyond the reach
of his oratory. OF those who have
achieved peculiar distinction, Senator
Vance, OF North Carolina, Senator Vest,
of Missouri, and Senator Blackburn, OF
Kentucky, are pre-cminent among tho
present Senator's.
Elephants at work.
In turning square timber tusker puts