Telegram-herald., 1890-12-30


Ne wln ss sss oaay Kx-sps>kss.
lspe<1-. c1ssss<ozssraesl
WAsmsGfoS. Dec. = -Ths Republic
q SHE IF the senate chaaseer . Row
sA3caiy Kopa,asesi wilea al the senators
are Ia their seats. % mzay new states
have besaa admitted IA tbs northwest,
aad 80 many senator's have eoms beers -
reprossnt thezs. that tas seEsts chamber
4 gradually coming 10 look more hike
the koase % representatives and les1 Ike
the snail, select ard geateel senate Of q
half century ago. Fifty years sgo the
senate " - only htsle more than half
Is large Is IL Is COW. Thea there were
nifty Gso senator's. nov there are eighty
six- Fifty years ago Michigan. now re-
garied ~ 9as OF the old states. was the
| youngest sister represented oa the door
ot congress. With the advent Of these
new senator's from the far west and the
increase OF the number IF senators has
come a great deal OF disorder on the door,
30 much that senator ingalls,, who Is the
senatorial mentor in matters Of order
and dscorun. felt il necessary the other
day To riss aud appeal 10 the senate and
To the presiding officer not 70 permit the
traditional good order and quiet Of tbs
ancient body TO be destroyed.
But tho character OF the senate is grad
uaIly changing. and viii 10 doubt con-
tinus 20 change. Ii Is becoming less
disnifel, less aristocratic, less formal,
and the standard Of ability and charac-
ter Of its membership is not as high as
il was years ago.
IL is a singular fact. which L 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 sem
ators from the west. Old Capt BasSett,
the veteran senate employee who has
charge OF tho furniture and pages on the
floor, kceps 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 an,islesks have
been carefully preserved, and once they
were pointed out 70 visitors, but as relic
hunters began To mutilate them it was
found necessary to conceal their identity.
only other persons about the senate
chamber who could point ont these ia
nous desks, bat am able 70 state, with
out any violation of confidence, that mr.
Morrill, himself uses the chair aud desk
which once belonged TO Daniel Webster.
Senator Edmunds. by the way, has one
ambition which is not generally known.
He hopes 10 live pag enough and re-
main long enough in the senate to
eclipse the record made by Tom Benton
for longest continuous service ever
i known in the United States senate.
Benton was a member of the senate for
2 twenty-nine years and seven months
: continuously. Henry y. Anthony, of
: Rhode Island. served twenty-five years
C con inuouslv, and April 8 next, If he
5 lives. Mr.. Edmunds will complete his
quarter Of century of continuous sery-
c ice. Senator Sherman has served long
or than Mr. Edmunds, but not continu-
: ously. 1t is quite probable Mr.. Edmunds
: will live to ecEpse Benton's record. He
: is still hale and hearty. not so very old,
e and about his reelection as many times
rs he likes there is not particle OF
- douht.
1t is enough TO startle one to look al
b: this venerable old man, Capt. Bassett
= and 10 think that he was here in tn:
!, body thirty-five years before Mr.. Ed
J. munds came Yet such is the fact. i
d was Dec. 5, 1891. when Bassett, then ;
: mere lad, took his place as one OF th'
: two pages employed by the senate. III
:. was appointed by Daniel Webster, whC
b was very fond Of him. and here he ha
r been. rs boy and man, ever since. ID
h told me the Other day that when he wa
D, a mage the boys were required 10 wea
l. uniforms, but finally the blue cloth an'
gilt buttons were abolished on the de
8 mand OF n senator from one of the "a
r western states probably Ohio or Indiana,
who thought uniform inconsistent
ST with our simple democratic notions
ii Capt. Dassett says he was the secon'
~ page employed by tho senate, and tina
!. the frst IS still living and employed Il
s. one Of the departments. Next Decern
D. be-. or completing his sixty years Q
service in the senate. Capt. Bassett vii
give 20 tho world book Of his expert
20 eaces and recollectioE-s. It will proba
: biz be a very interesting recital. Tn
n good captain wants il understood. how
= ever, that be does not intend 10 tell a
- he knows about the senator's with whor
., he has been thrown III contact. Ii IA
- were TO rnburlen himself without r.
=, serve HE book would create o sensation
h. Cart. Bassett Is the only man aboJ
IT. the CAPITOL who can remember the tin
when it vns customary for represent
.e. ,ives n wear their hats in the hall du
~ iug Sessions i was not til 1928 Ia
X. this custom. borrowed from the Eagiis
er house of ccfn1Eons. was discontinue
OF For 5irne in the carly history Of u
- house ladies warc not admitted 70 q
:" gallery, but finally gallantry and justi'
prevailed. an1 after serious discussic
a. Of the question. which at that time w
- described IS ''Inoment9us,' the ladi
an were not only admitted but a galiel
a. was provided FOR their especial rse.
.. Tho venerable Capt. Bassett, who
-; ore &C TIE most interesting Inks b
81 tween past au1 present We have IN u
90 capital city. never ceases 70 deploTe 81
~ dsca4ience # the s7uf box. He remeT
- b.rs the day when the snuff box was
= ia glory in The senate chamber. and al
~ IN the other honse. Il is stu malassi n
ar in the senate. but, alas. CsEt. Bassetf
ID, the oaly habitual snafTer. In the