Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-10-29


A writer I'm Harper's Weekly gives tho
I following facts about an interesting body:
"The Senate never dies" This is the par
liamentary way of saying that the terms
OF Office of the Senators, or of any large
number OF them, never expire simultan-
eously rs 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 10 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-six members, is not
crowded rs the House is with three hun
dred and twenty-five. The seats are
further apart, the aisles are never damned,
as the aisles Of the House always are, and
Senators move about from one side OF the
Chamber TO the other with freedom, with
ont 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 as
many as half the seats arc vacant when
all the Senator's are within hearing Of the
Clerk If he should call the roll. Nor does
the Senate have.$o cramp itself with
multiplicity Of rules which restrict the in
dividual liberty of Senators
As n rule, deliberatiye bodies never find
time for deliberation and 10 this rule tho
Senate is one Of the few exceptions. Sena-
tors not only deliver set speeches on sub
jects under consideration without limit
on their time, but il there be any other
subject on which a Senator wishes to be
heard, he can make occasion for speech
by introducing u resolution and speaking
10 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 TO de-
liver carefully prepared orations. Others
are ''working" Senators, who seldom give
formal notice, as the orators do, that ITO
morrow I shall ask leave TO address tho
Senate" on such and such subject
Nearly all the set orations are thus an
nounced in advance, and 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 Nil per-
sons from the floor while it is in session,
except members, members of tho
House and other high officers but
Senators can admit their private secre-
taries by card II the phrase "private
secretaries" includes newspaper cores
pondents friends Of Senator'S and promi-
neut 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 10
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 10
the left Of the centre. The late Senator
Anthony occupied the adjacent seat on one
side, and Senator Logan occupies the one
on the other side. Mr.. Edmunds Inns now
had longer continuous term Of service
than any of his associates. In 1866 lie
was appointed to fill an unexpired term,
and he has been returned at every success
sive Senatorial election. Mr.. sherman
entered the Senate five years earlier, but
the continuity of his service was inter
ruptcd for four years, during which lie
was secretary of the Treasury under
President Hayes 1t is noteworthy that
he is the only member OF the Senate who
was a member during the war There are
several Senators, however, who were
members OF the House before lSGl and
between 1861 and 1865. Mr. salisbury,
OF Delaware, has been member of the
Senate conseCutively since 1871, and
Mr. Logans first term began at the same
time but for two years 1879, he was
not a member The youngest member Of
the Senate is Senator kenna OF West Nir-
ginia, who, when he took his seat in lSS3,
was only thrty-iye years Of age. OF tho
members on the Democratic side OF is
Chamber, Senator Voorhees, and Senator
Beck, 10y 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 dgnifed formula OF the Senatorial
speech are not always rigidly used i'm the
commttce-rooms and coat rooms While
one Senator is delivering philosophical
or statistical GRAFTON 20 the country or TO
his party, groups Of Others viii 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-em!nent among tho
present Senators.