The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-23
Clay. The house will lose its brightest
nament when Ben goes to Chicago to prac
tire Law

Clay. The house will lose its brightest
nament when Ben goes to Chicago to prao
tice law.
The man for business is Bishop w. Per-
klns, Of Kansas. There is no nonsense
about him. When he takes the chair the
legislative machinery begins to move. In
expedltlng business he resembles the late
Sunset Cox, who was veritable steam en-
gine. He keeps the house confined to the
point at issue and drives bills through with
chairman of the committee or as speaker
pro tempore in given time than any other
man in the house, and do it to the sat
isfaction of those upon the floor. Per-
kins is chairman of the committee on
Indian affairs. He is also a member of
the committee on the territories and of the
committee on Indian depredations claims.
He was once judge of the Eleventh judicial
district of Kansas and is now serving his
fourth term as congressman. he looks
like 'gray-eye man of destiny" Kan
sas has no representative more serviceable.
His face is clean-shaven and his hair as
black AZ q ravens wing.
The Hon. Thomas j. Henderson, of Illi-
nois. is another gentleman who makes q
fine appearance at the speakers desk. He
il now serving his sixteenth year in the
congress of the United States There is moth
ing snowy about him. He is neither wit
ty nor sarcastic, but he is telling speaker.
He goes to his work as far mer goes to his
plow, and turns his furrow with the utmost
regularity. He is plain, matter-of- fact
congressman with plenty of horse-sense.
Mr.. Henderson is chairman of the commit,
tee on rivers and harbors, and engineered
the river and harbor bill through the house
a 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
% fpu0 Ia Ia hao
intellectual face, charming voice and q
graceful manner. Then, Gov. Dingley, of
Maine, at times swings the gavel for few
minutes. Anon, John H. Moffit, of Frank
lin county, New York. takes 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. Relden never ap-
peared there but once. It was after the
house adjourned. He brought the gavel
down with great dignity and called the
pages to order. A page three feet high
moved that the house go 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 congres sman called the smallest
page on 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-foot 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. II was carried. The little page
gravely moved to reconsider it and lay that
motion on the table. "There being no OBJ
jeotion.'' said Belden, sit is 80 ordered
Young Dean Halford, nephew of
Whistling Elijah, then moved that the
house adjourn. This was carried, and Mr..
Belden gave the desk parting whack, and
received the congratulations of the pages.
AMOS j. CUMMINGS.