The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-06-24
The Bright Little Pages in
Congress- Halls.
MR.. DORSEY'S SAGE ADYICE
Why the BaEdannas Disappeared
Congressional Penmanship-
General Notes.
WASHINGTON, D. c., June TO- Special
to The SALT LAKE HERALD. -
THE BRIGHT PAGES.

THE BRIGHT PAGES.
OF course every visitor to the Capitol,
when Congress is in session, has seen
the bright, active boys who rush here.
there and everywhere to do the bidding
OF Senators and members. A few of
them are sons OF the men whom they
thus publicly serve, and most of them
are IN some way or other, related to
prominent legislators or officials. One
might naturally suppose that. the
boyshness of these lads-the natural
cussedness which pertains to the
modern youth-would be a bar to the
acquisition of much valuable experience,
and, in some cases, it is so. The majority
OF the pages are, however, fitting
themselves for something better.
Quite number of them have taken
up the study OF photography, iucited
thereto by watching the n;mble
fingers of the official reporters as they
keep pace with some oleaginously
slippery tongue. Others are preparing
to become legislators, and their knowl-
edge of the rules of the House and
OF parliamentary law is sur
Drlslngly accurate. One OF the most
amusing things l have seen or head
in this session was controvers Letween
page and three learned members of
the House on the duty on steel rails.
The boys argument was infinitely more
sound than many of those which have
been embaimed in the Confessional
Record. His language was good, and
the ideas he advanced were strikingly
clear. Fully twenty members and
newspaper men gathered around to hear
the debate, but the boy did not see
them for some time; be was too deeply
engrossed in the discussion. When, by
mutual consent, the boy received
hearty round of applause, in which his
opponents made as much noise as any
one else. Playing in the midst of po-
iltical field in which grows a various
it is no wonder that the
boys soon learn many of tie tricks Ct
the politician and lose that candor
which is so delightful a fea ure
in boyish character. They can
be thoroughly Republican in their
sentiment at times, and then
twist around as rapidly as swift
~ revolving weathervane to the oppo-
site point on the political compass.
During the past week the boys all
wore the glazing bandana handkerchief
and they made it as conspicuous as
possible. On Saturday a number of
them were gathered around the main
door of the House Haunting their en-
signs vigorously, when Representative
Dorsey, of Nebraska, passed out. Dor
sey has good deal Of quiet fun in him.
and he saw an opportunity for amuse-
nent that was too good to let go, so he
said 70 the youngsters, very gravely.
You are making very serious mis-
Jake, boys, when you display so much
partisan spirit OF course, you are all
Democrats, and were appointed through
Democratic influence, but you will want
10 retain your positions in the next Con
yress, won't your"
The boys all said they would.
"Well," continued Mr.. Dorsey, You
will have to change your tactics then.
or the Republicans will have control
# the new House, and then, when YOU
re SHINING around hunting for Re-
publican influence, somebody will re-
aember that you were Thurman ban
Ianas, and of course that you were
Democrats. Now it ought to
70 very plain to you that no RepubIi
an could conscientiously do anything
or you; he would have t. use his in
hence in behalf of boys who took no /
ctive part in politics and who did not |
rear such an obnoxious emblem as the |
laring bandanna. The mischievous
lember returned to his seat, and five
minutes later not a single baudana
ould be seen in the possession of any
ne of the entire staff of pages. One or
r two of the boys still carry the hand
erchiefs, but they only dislay them
hen they are beyond the range of Re-
ublican eyes.
CONGRESSIONAL HANDWRITING.
If leglbIe handwriting were suddenly
lade the standard of intelligence, then
hat a lamentably ignoran: lot of
this country would have.
glanced at pile of manuscript the
Their evening, just as it was about to
e forwarded to the Government print
lg office, and surely there never was
greater or more confused mass of
than was in the three or
,ur hundred pages in that heap. How
ne compositor got along with it l know
OF, but felt sorry for him. A prac-
cal printer, man of large experience
nd leader in the craft, gave utter
nee to the following short time ago.
nd I heartily indorse his sentiments:
About every once in while some dis {
nguished member of Congress rises
/ his place and expresses desire to
3rrect the Record, and ninety-Dine {
mes out of hundred intimates that
lie error is the fault of the print
10, rho+ vow four |