Democratic messenger., 1889-04-06
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent

Considerable dignity attaches
to the office. and there is al
ways a great responsibility be-
fore the occupant of the po-
sition. but he has very little ac-
tual power. The only author
ity he can claim is that of max
ing the distinguished gentle
men of the upper house of
Congress conduct themselves
in a digniiicd and becoming
manner, under the parlimcn-
tary rules governing that body.
The patronage he can dispense
as absolutely his own is the
position of department tclc-
graph operator for the Senate
and his own private secretary
ship. He can appoint to these
two positions. and those are
the only official acts he can
perform that are not merely
perfunctory. But if a Senator
tries to speak when it is not
his turn or, speaking in prop
or time, uses improper Ian
guagc or attempts to discuss
the solemn secrets of executive
session before the galleries
have been cleared Of the too in
quisitive public, the Vice
President can call him to or
der, and can enforce respect
full obedience to the rules of
the Senate.
The President Pre- tenn of the
Senate is usually the party
leader. He takes a leading
part in party caucuscs, and
takes an active interest in
and exercises a positive in
iluence over legislatson. He
votes and makes speeches on
the floor of the Senate and is
positive power. He is a
member of the Senate, chosen
to that position on account Of
his prominence in the party.
He is always in sympathy with
the majority of the Senate.
He has all his ordinary duties
in the Senate, and is chairman
of a committee. and has, alto
gethcr, as much as he can at
tend TO.
But the Vice President has
none of these duties. The po-
sition of presiding officer of
the Senate appears TO have
been assigned to him merely
to give him something to do
while waiting to see the admin
istralion safely through. While
his duties are neither compli-
Gated nor gravcly important.
the Nicc-PrcSidcncy is. of
course, a very honorable and
important office; and, as the
constitution provides, the man
to hold this position must pos
scss all the qualifications for
the presidency.
The subject of a residence
for the President of the Unit
ed States entirely separate and
apart from the place in which
he transacts his business. has
often been agitatcd, and it is a
matter which should be taken
in hand and disposed of very
promptly after the Fifty first
Congress meets. Since the
election of Gen. Harrison as
the chief executive, the made
quatc and inconvcnicnt accom-
modations of the White House
as a family residence has been
made more manifest than ever.
Mrs. Harrison is quoted as
having said that she could not
see what particular advantage
it was for a woman to give up
a house in indianapolis with
nine bedrooms in it for one
in Washington with only five.
This rather epigrammatic re-
mark tells the whole story.
There are dozens and per
haps scores of houses in this
city that have amp,cr accom-
modations and more modern
convenicnccs than the resi-
dcnce in which the Chief Exc
cutivc and his family live.
When the President has sev-
eral children they must be
disgracefully crowded
In the present instance.
President and Mrs. Harrison
would doubtless like more
room, and what is perhaps of
even more Importance. great
er privacy. This they can
not obtain so long as they live
in an office, for that is all the
NNL.a.. L. - IL n.