Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1889-12-20
CAPITAL LETTER.
Preliminary Work In the Organi'
cation of the National Congress.
How the House u Organixed-The Satur-
day Night Caucus Election of House
Onicials Their Salaries
and Duties.
Especial Washington letter.

lSptChl Ndsulhkton LtlttT
The constitution provides that Con
gress shall assemble at least once in
every year, and such meeting shall be
on the first Monday in December, unless
they shall by law appoint different
day" Unfortunately, the Congress has
never. by law, appointed different day
| for the annual meeting, but IL should be
done; and they should also change the
| day for the Inauguration of our Presi-
dents, in Difference 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 Speallership. This is the
custom of the party which obtains ma
jority at any one of the biennial cleo
tons, and every two years the Capitol
is heated and lighted TO receive the ad.
vance guard of the Legislators. This
year IL happens that the Republican
party holds majority of the House for
the first time since December, 1881. At
that time Mr.. Keifer. of Ohio, Mr.
kasson, of Iowa, and several other gen.
tlemen contended for the Speakership,
and the caucus victory was won by Mr..
Keller. The Democratic party has since
that time held possession of the House
and has continuously honored Mr.. Car
Isle. of Kentucky, with the Speaker
ship. No matter whom the Republicans
may elect 10 succeed him, their best
man can not be the peer of John q.
Carlisle as presiding officer. This
generation will not produce his peer
He is, taeiLe prtnceps, the prince of par
liamentarians, and his judgments in the
chair have been as unprecedented as they
have been concise, clear and just. Mr.
Carlisle will actively participate in the
debates which are certain to enliven the
coming session, for he is natural fcren-
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
tight that not a sound can escape, and
if the caucus is long one the air in
the Hall becomes almost unbearably
vitiated, for there will be absolutely no
ventilation. The reason for all this Sc
crecy is that the Representatives make
speeches, giving party reasons why this,
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
making is personal, with the bandying
of epithets. when the debate grows
warm. Two years ago in the Democratic
caucus. when the candidates for Door
keeper were being discussed, one Of the
hone rable gentlemen call another hon
orable gentleman "a liar" whereupon
the aforementioned honorable gentleman
raised his honorable clenched fist and
smote the velvety cheek of the other
honorable gentleman, and there was
commotion galore.
BY the way, IL is funny TO see the
statesmen making efforts to keep public
matters secret from the correspondents.
In a body of three hundred men there
is always from one To twenty men who
will contidentially tell some newspaper
friend, or friends, all about II. 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
minute TO have the Waterman at the foot
of the stairs decoyed to the restaurant
for minute, while | 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 the report was all written out
in shorthand before he came upstairs,.
and his interruption did not prevent the
publication of u full report next morn
ing.
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 abe ut twelve years, and Gen
orul McCOok, who succeeded him, has
been in the same position for six years.
AA''o ID SUM- ualh Va d pIopOoSu CHdilBe
in the Office of Sergeant-at-Arms of the
Senate this year; but it will probably
all end in talk. The Senate is a small
body, comparatively, and always digni-
fed and conservative. The Senate
Chamber is not more 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
- So