The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-02-06
CAPITAL LETTER.
A Peep at Some Of the Ins and
Outs Of Legislation.
Two Notable Rooms In the Capitol Build
ing-How Senators Receive Their
Callers -Ehrowd Lobbyists
and How They Work.
Especial Correspondence. !

Especial correspondence.l
mo cards are received before two
o'clock by any of the Senators"
"Please take my card in, for Senator
Blank is expecting me to-day"
"My dear madam, am forbidden to
present any cards to the Senators earlier
than two o'clock, and can not disobey
my ORDERS"
The scene is in the ladies' reception
room of the Senate. Upon the chairs
and Observation-Disclosures sofas, like
wall-fowers around the handsome room,
are seated upwards of two-score people,
each with want, desire or scheme;
all Of them awaiting the pleasure Of the.
particular Senators upon whom the sue
cess of their hopes, desires and schemes
may hang.
The handsome, well-dressed, polite,
diplomatic young gentleman who guards
the door of the Senate lobby is obliged
to state ten hundred times every day
that he is forbidden to take the cards Of
callers to the Senators earlier than two
o'clock. Before him to-day, as en-
tered from the east portico, stood
beautiful blonde, fascinating creature
with eyes as charming and penetrating
as ever glittered at the windows Of the
soul of Circe; and she was plying all
admissible arts of persuasion in order to
get her card carried to Southern SEN
ator before the appointed time. The
guardian was weakening before her
persistent assaults Of coquetry and
Establishment. One of the older en-
ployes brushed past and said to the
young man in an undertone: "Not be-
fore two o'clock" and his softening
heart was again flint-locked against her.
When he finally said, quite severely, in
order to strengthen his own determine
tion rather than to hurt her feelings:
"Pardon me, madam, but you are in the
way of others here, please take a seat"
She permitted just one tear to moisten
each eye, looked reproachfully at him
and slowly turned away. The young
man was crushed between duty and de-
sire.
Strange, isn't it, how close we may be
to thing and not see it? That young
guardian of the door has had consider
able experience in official life, and yet
he saw before him only a beautiful
woman from a Southern State, who
wanted to see her Senator, and was tear
fully anxious to see him without delay.
After she was out of hearing your cor
respondent said: "She's new one, and
a good one."
"What do you mean?' asked the
young man, in tones of deep astonish-
ment. SIS there any thing wrong about
her? I'd stake my reputation upon her
honesty and innocence. She is the love-
lest creature ever beheld in all of my
experience"
"Stake nothing but your words, my
son. If you stake your reputation there
you'll lose. That is Nine. D., new
employe of well-known corporation.
She is lobbyist, and will prove sue
cessful one, too. Her newness in Wash
ington is advantageous to her, and she
will prove exceedingly valuable to her
employees. The Senator for whom she
is calling is already hers to command
and there will be others on her string
before many moons more"
After she has been here q week
longer the Sergeant-at-Arms will have
orders to admit her to the marble room
whenever she calls, and there she will
be able to see her Senators without such
weary waiting. The common people
who seek favors must still remain out in
the reception room, but Nine. D. will
be mistress of the situation. Down the
green-carpeted corridor known as the
Senate lobby the people can look and
see the Senators passing back and forth
from the Senate chamber to the marble
room, but they can not come near them
until after two o'clock. Many Of the
dear people have arisen as early as six