Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-07-31
CAPTAIN BASSETT.
The Old Senate Functionary
Too Late for Once.
HE MISSES AN ANCIENT PRIVILEGE

Vice President Morton Spells One of the
Interesting Scenes of the senate-Cock-
rell Makes the House of Lords" Laugh
lis the Tariff Tax on Home Products9
st. Paul Must Stand Recount-A
Committee Appointed to Investigate
Gen. Raum.
WASHINGTON CITY, July 3l.-Vice Presi-
dent Morton, having spent day or twoin
Washington City, will return to Rhinecliff
to complete his vacation. At least one
man in Washington City will De glad to
see him GO This is old Capt. Bassett, the
picturesque doorkeeper of the senate. Mr..
Morton Internationally put an indignity
upon the old gentleman yesterday morn
ing For the past fifty years or so Mr..
Bassett has been the official announcer, so
to speak, of messages from the president
and the house of representatives.
Capt. Bassett in Action.
The manner in which he introduces the
bearers of messages is one of the interest
ing features of the days performance
in the senate Whenever Private Secre-
tary Pruden or Clerk Mcpherson appears
in the doorway the old man PUSHES to his
side, bows his white head to the vice pres
ident, grows redder than lobster in the
face, and in a voice that sounds as if it
came from the basement, calls the atten-
ton of the senate to the fact that mes
sage from the president has been sent in.
Morton Gets Ahead of Him.
Mr. Bassett allows nothing to interfere
with his daily performances He keeps an
eagle eye on the doorway and eats his
lunch in corner behind a screen, so that
he can not be caught unprepared. Mr..
Morton caused the old mans downfall
yesterday morning, much to his chagrin.
Mr. Bassett was standing at the vice pres
ident's desk when the clerk of the house
appeared with a message. Failing to no.
tice the old mans desperate struggles to
rush up the aisle, Mr.. Morton announced
Clerk Mcpherson, and the message was
delivered before Mr.. Bassett could make
his bow 1t is probable, however, that he
will swallow his modification and restrain
his inclination TO resign in order to get
even with Mr.. Morton.
Made the Senate Laugh.
1t is very rarely that the dignified sena.
tors are made to laugh, but there was one
of those rare occasions yesterday. Cock
rell had been giving some figures IS u
the comparative work done by me senats
and house andshowing that the senate
was away ahead in the matter. He CAV,
the credit TO the Democrats, who, he said
had been models of forbearance and con
servatism, and yet, he continued, Demo
| Gratis were criticised the moment they
wanted little explanation and little
| light on the tariff bill. II there was {
Democratic majority in the senate, anC
had it made an attempt to pass the bill
| for the admission of New Mexico ant
Arizona, the senator from Maine Frye
| would have pranced up and down the cen
| ter aisle, and the senator from Vernon
| (Edmunds) would have raised his voice
They would have roared like Gagged lions
I and screamed like chained hyenas laugh
| teri against the action of the Democrats
majority. Why, he asked, had not tn
house disposed of more bills than il hat
disposed of? The reason was that it liz
nored, in its organization and changes
rules, the fundamental principles of par
/ liamentary discussion