Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-12-21
CAPITAL LETTER.
Preliminary Work in the Organi
 zation of the National Congress.
How the House h Organixed-The Satur- day Night Caucus-Election of House Officials Their Salaries
 and Duties.
Especial Washington Letter.l

Especial Washington Letter.l
 The constitution provides that Con gross shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shsll by law appoint different day" Unfortunately, the Congress has never, by law, appointed different day for the annual meeting, but it should be done; and they should also change the day for the inauguration of our Presi- dents, in deference to the climate of the National capital.
 The first Monday in December was this year the second day of the month; and, on the preceding Saturday night, November 80, the Republican members of the House assembled in caucus in the Hall of Representatives for the purpose of agreeing upon some one of their num- Der for the Speakership. This is the custom of the party which obtains ma jority at any ono of the biennial cleo tions, and every two years the Capitol is heated and lighted to receive the ad- vance guard of the legislators. This year it happens that the Republican party holds a majority of the House for the first time since December, 1881. At that time MT. Keller, of Ohio, MT, Kasson, of Iowa, and several other gen. tlemen contended for the Speakership, and the caucus victory was won by MT. Keller. The Democratic party has since that time held possession of the House and has continuously honored MT. Car lisle, of Kentucky, with the Speaker ship. No matter whom the Republicans may elect to succeed him, their best man can not be the peer of John G. Carlisle as 8 presiding officer. This generation will not produce his peer. He is, tacize princeps, the prince of par liamentarians, and his judgments in the chair have been as unprejudiced as they have been concise, clear and just. MT. Carlisle will actively participate in the debates which are certain to enliven the coming session, for he is a natural foren- sic leader.
 The Hall of Representatives on the night of the caucus is guarded by the watchmen and messengers who remain in office from their appointments under the last Congress. The doors of the House are closed, the galleries sealed so tight that not a sound can escape, and if the caucus is long ono the air in Guo hd1l DcCOucS d1HOSU vitiated, for there will be absolutely no ventilation. The reason for all this se- crecy is that the Representatives make speeches, giving party reasons why this, 1 that or the other candidate shall be chosen as the party leader A great deal is said which would not look well in print, and very much of the speech l making is personal, with the bandying of cpithets, when the debate grows warm. Two years ago in the Democratic caucus, when the candidates for Door keeper were being discussed, one of the homo rable gentlemen call another hon. orable gentleman "a liar," whereupon the aforementioned honorable gentleman raised h3 honorable clenched fist and smote the velvety cheek of the other honorable gentleman, and there was 1 commotion galore.
 By the way, it is funny to see the statesmen making efforts to keep public matters secret from the correspondents. 1 In body of three hundred men there is always from one to twenty men who will confdentially tell some newspaper friend, or friends, all about it. Last | winter, when a caucus was being held and all points carefully guarded, re- membered that there was broken door in the gallery; and it took but a minute to have the watchman at the foot of the stairs decoyed to the restaurant for minute, while l skipped upstairs, tip-toed to the broken door, and quietly sat there taking notes of all that was said and done by the entire caucus. Ike Hill discovered me, when it was nearly over; but tho report was all written out in shorthand before he came upstairs, and his interruption did not prevent the publication of 8 full report next morn ing.
 l Tho Senate does not have to go through this parliamentary tangle every two years. Indeed, the officers of the Senate are. seldom changed. Hon. George c. Gorham was Secretary of the Senate for about twelve years, and Gen eral McCook, who succeeded him, has been in the same position for six years. There is some talk of proposed change in the office of Sergeant-at-Armso of the Senate this year; but it will probably all end in talk. The Senate is small body, comparatively, and always digni- fled and conservative. The Senate Chamber is not moro than half as large as the Hall of Representatives, and is much handsomer. The floor is going to be somewhat crowded by the admission of eight new Senators from the States | zES-Ss8sSsS