The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-30
THE CHANGING SENATE.
1T is NOT NOW so SELECT AND
ORDERLY AS IN FORMER DAYS.

Capt. Bassett-Ths Old Desks-MorriH
Sits at Daniel Wobster's-Edmunds'
Ambition-Reed and the Next House.
He win BE the Only Ex-Speaker.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S.-The Republic
an side of the senate chamber is now
thickly populated WHEN all the senators
are in their seats. So many new states
have been admitted in the northwest,
and so many senators have come here to
represent them, that the senate chamber
is gradually coming 10 look more like
the house of representatives and less like
the small, select and genteel senate OF
half century ago. Fifty years ago the
senate was only little more than half
as large as it is now. Then there were
fifty-two senator's, now there are eighty
six. Fifty year.. ago Michigan, now re-
garded as one OF the old states, was the
Youngest sister represented on the floor
Of congress With the advent of these
new senators from the far west and the
increase of the number of senators has
come a great deal Of disorder on the floor,
so much that Senator Ingalls,, who is the
senatorial mentor IN matters Of order
and decorum, felt it necessary the other
DAY to rise and appeal to the senate and
to the presiding officer not to permit the
traditional good order and quiet Of the
ancient body TO be destroyed. -
But the character of the senate is grad
ually changing, and VIII no doubt con-
tinue to change. Ii is becoming less
dignihed, less aristocratic, less formal,
and the standard of ability and charac-
ter of its membership is not as high as
it was years ago.
1t is singular fact. which / discov-
cred the other day by accident, that the
chair in which Henry Clay used to sit in
the senate chamber is now occupied by
one of the young and inexperienced SEN
ators from the west. Old Capt. Bassett,
the veteran senate employee who has
charge of the furniture and pages on the
floor, keeps as his own secret the iden-
tity of the chairs and desks which were
once used by such famous men as Web
ster, Clay. Calhoun, Benton, Cass and
others. These old chairs and desks have
been carefully preserved, and once they
were pointed out to visitors, but as relic
hunters began to mUtilate them it was
found necessary to conceal their identity.
Senator's Morrill, and Edmunds are the
only other persons about the senate
chamber who could point out these ia
nous desks, but l am able to state, with
ont any violation of confidence, that Mr..
Morrill, himself uses the chair and desk
which once belonged to Daniel Webster.
Senator Edmunds, by the way, has one
ambition which is not generally known.
He hopes to live long enough and re-
main long enough in the senate to
eclipse the record made by Tom Benton
for longest continuous service ever
known in the United States senate.
Benton was member of the senate for
twenty-nine years and seven months
continuously. Henry B. Anthony, of
Rhode Island, served twenty-five years
continuously, and April next, if he
lives, Mr.. Edmunds will complete his
quarter Of a century of continuous serv-
ice. Senator Sherman has served long
er than Mr. Edmunds, but not continu-
ously. 1t is quite probable Mr.. Edmunds
will live to eclipse Benton's record. He
is still hale and hearty, not so very old,
and about his reelection as many times
as he likes there is not particle of
doubt.
It is enough TO startle one to look at
this venerable old man, Capt. Bassett,
and to think that he was here in this
body thirty-fve years before Mr.. Ed
munds came. Yet such is the fact. 1t
was Dec. ), 1881, when Bassett, then a
mere lad, took his place as one of the
two pages employed by the senate. He
was appointed by Daniel Webster, who
was very fond of him, and here he has
been, as boy and man, ever since. He
told me the other day that when he was
a page the boys were required to wear
uniforms. but finally the blue cloth and
gilt buttons We're abolished on the de-
Inand Of a senator from one of the far
western states probably Ohio or Indiana),
who thought uniform inconsistent
with our simple democratic notions.
Capt. Bassett says he was the second
page employed by the senate. and that
the first is It'll living and employed in
one of the departments. Next Decem-
Der, ON completing his sixty years of
service in the senate, Capt. Bassett will
give to the world book Of his expert
ences and recollections. 1t viii proba-
bly, be very interesting recital. The
good captain wants It understood, how
ever, that he does not intend to tell all
he knows about the senators with whom
he has been thrown ia contact. If he
were to unburden himself without re-
serve his book would create a sensation.
Capt. Bassett is the only man about
the Capitol who can remember the time
when it was customary for representa-
! tives to wear their hats in the hall dur
/ ing sessions. 1t was not tln 1923 that
Unis custom, borrowed from the English
house Of commons. was discontinued.
For time in the early history Of the
house ladies were not admitted to the
| gallery, but finally galiantry and justice
prevailed. and after q serious discussion
/ of the question. WalCa at that time was
/ described IS "Co1relJOus." the ladies
were not only admit ed but gallery
was provided for their especial use.
The venerable CAP. Bassett, who is
one Of the most int resting links be-
/ tween past and present we nave in the
/ capital city, never ea. ses 70 deplore the
| decadence Of the snUE box He remem-
| hers the T9v yvnnu r1c snuff box WAS in
its glory in the senate -hsInber. and also