The morning call., 1890-06-29
he is in the chair. This is his third term in
Congress. O'Donnell is Chairman of the

he is in the chair. This is his third term IN
Congress. O'Donnell is Chairman of the
Committee on Education.
Ben Butterwortb is another man of bust
ness. The same ability and versatility that
distinguish him upon the floor of the House
does business eXpeditiously and gets more
fun out of it than Thomas 8. Reed himself
His eyes twinkle as he elucIdateS point OF
order, and his gavel dances at the least sign
of confusion. Ben is an ever-flowing well
of information and intellectual delight Ii
member can't understand question after
ButterwOrth has explained it, he may as
well shut up his desk and travel h0meward.
The General is also the hands0mest of all
the presiding officers. He has the form of
an Apollo Belvidere, is as witty and versa
tile as John Van Buren,. and as lmperlous
in his rulings as Henry Clay. The House
will lose its brightest ornament when Ben
goes to Chicago to practice law.
The man for business is Bishop W. Per-
kins of Kansas. There is no nonsense
about him. When he takes the chair the
legislative machinery begins to move. In ex-
pediting business he resembles the late Sun
set Cox, who was veritable steanl-engine.
He keeps the House confined to the point
at issue and drives bills through with a firm
hand. He will do more work as Chairman
of the committee or as Speaker pro tempore
in given time than any other man in the
House, and do it to the satisfaction of those
upon the floor. Perkins is Chairman of the
Committee on Indian Affairs. lie is also a
member of the Committee on Territories
and of the Committee ON Indian Depreda-
ton Claims. He was once Judge of the
Eleventh Judicial District of Kansas, and
is now serving his fourth term us Congress-
man. He looks like "gray-eyed man of
destiny" Kansas has no Representative
more serviceable. His face is clean shayen
and his hair as black as a ravens wing.
nf
Illinois is another gentleman who makes
fine appearance at the Speakers desk. He
is now serving mis- sixteenth year in the
Congress of the United States. There is
nothing snowy about him. He is neither
witty nor sarcastic, but lie Is a telling
speaker. He goes to his work as farmer
goes 10 his pillow, and turns his furrow with
the utmost regularity. He is plain, mat
ter-of-fact Congressman with plenty of
horse sense. Mr.. Henderson is Chairman
of the Committee on Rivers and HarbOrS,
and engineered the river and harb0r bill
through the House week or Two ago.
OF course these are not the only gentle
men who appear in the Speakers chair.
Henry Cabot Lodge occasionally spends
fifteen or twenty minutes there and makes
a very favorable impression. He has an
intellectual face, charming voice and
graceful manner. Then, Governor Dingley
of Maine at times swings the gavel for
few minutes. Anon, John III. Motif of
Franklin County, n. Y, takes a turn at the
wheel. He is cool and practical and never
loses his head. James Schoolcraft Sher-
man and Milton de LanO are two New
Workers who also grace the chair once in
awhile. Hon. James j. Belden never ap.
peared there but once. 1t was after the
House adjourned. He brought the gavel
down with great dignity aud called the
pages to order. A page three feet high
moved that the House 20 into committee of
the whole on the state of the Union for the
consideration of a bill increasing the SAL
aries of the employees of the House. Belden
put the question with the most profound
gravity and it was carried. Thereupon the
genial Congressman called the smallest
page Oh the floor to the chair, retired to his
seat and enjoyed the fun for an hour or
more.
Then tow-headed page moved that the
committee rise and report the bill favorably
to the House. The motion was carried and
Mr.. Belden again resumed the chair. The
three-fo0t page descended the steps and ap-
peared at the bar. He reported the pro-
ceedings of the committee with precision
and dispatch. Thereupon, the previous
question was ordered, the bill received its
third reading and was put upon its final
passage. 1t was carried. The little page
gravely moved to reconsider it and lay that
motion upon the table. "There being no
objection" said Belden, sit is so ordered"
Young Dean Haltord, a nephew of Whistl-
ing Elijah, then moved that the House ad-
journ. This was carried, and Mr.. Belden
gave the desk a parting whack. and re-
ceived the congratulations of the pages
Copyright 1850 AMOS j. CUMMINGS.