Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-12-19
FIFrY-RIRST CONGRESS-.
Both Houses Of tho National Legis-
lature in Session.
Numerous BILLS Introduced In Both
Houses Several Petitions Are Also
Presented business Is Now
Fully Unler Way.
Ispeslal mashlngton Let,er.

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 a different
day" Unfortunately, tho Congress has
never, by law, appointed a different day
for the annual meeting, hut il should be
done; ami 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 so, the Republican members
OF the House assembled in caucus in the
Hall of Representatives for tho purpose
OF agreeing upon some one OF their num-
Der for the Spcakership. This is the
custom of the party which obtains a ma
jority at any one of the biennial cleo
tions, and every two years the Capitol
Is heated and lighted To receive the adj
vance guard of the legislators. This
year it happens that the Republican
party holds majority Of tho House for
the first time since December, 1881. At
that time Mr. koifcr, Of Ohio, Mr.
Kasson, Of Iowa, and several other gen.
tlemen contended for tho Spcakership,
and the caucus victory was won by Mr..
Keifer. The Democratic party has since
that time held possession Of the House
and has continuously honored Mr. Car
Isle, of Kentucky, with tho 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 a presiding officer. This
generation will not produce his peer.
lie is, .facite priaceps the prince of par
liamentarians, and his Judgments in the
chair have been as unprejudiced as they
have been concise, clear and just. Mr..
carlisle viii actively participate in the
debates which are certain to enliven the
coming session, for he is a natural foren-
sic leader.
The Han 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. Tho doors Of the
House are closed, the galleries sealed so
tight that not a sound can escape, and
II 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 we'll
in print, and very much of tho 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 velvoty check Of the other
honorable gentleman, and there was
connection galore.
By the way, it is funny TO see the
statesmen making efforts to keep public
matters secret from the correspondence
In a body Of three hundred men there
is always from one to twenty men who
will confidentially tell some newspaper
friend, or friends, all about it. Last
winter, when caucus was being held
and all points carefully guarded, / re-
membered that there was a broken door
in the gallery; and it took but
minute to have the Waterman at the foot
of the stairs decoyed to tho 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 tho
publication of full report next morn
ing.
Tho Senate docs 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 tho
Senate for alb, ut twelve years, and Gen
eral McCook, who succeeded him, has
been in the same position for six years.
There is some talk Of a proposed change
in the Office Of Sergeant-at-Arms of tho
Senate this year; but it viii 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 largo
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