The morning call., 1891-12-06
NOTES FROM
WASHINGTON.
Where Men Only Seem to Keep the Con-
FGnti0nal Banking Hours.
Life at the Capital of the NatiOn-The Assem-
bling Of Society Laaders-The Bachelor
Club Cotillons.
Special to The SUNDAY CALL

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29.-The convention
being ordered at Minneapolis instead OF at
San Francisco by a committee with no
sense of justice or picturesqueness, that
body dispersed, and the Speakership con-
test now enlivens the town. When such af-
fairs are going on with open headquarters in
hotel parlors they should be advertised with
the theaters in the amusement columns Of
the city papers since they rival the pay
shows and take away their audiences.
Those whose business and concern it is live
AT the headquarters day and evening. and all
the town strolls in in the afternoon and
evening to see how things 20. Hence hotel
Hobbies warm and seethe ana very literally
smoke IN these Speakership-canVas
days.
"All Washington loafs after clock, says
one frequent visitor from lively Western
city. "Inever saw such place for men to take
the air aud their ease. All of our bankers
and lawyers, merchants and professional
men are busy until 8 or o'clock, but here
the departments and every one turns loose
after o'clock, and the most of the men who
have Offices seem to keep the conventional
banking hours-fIom 10 to 8. And these
Washington clubs! l have never seen sue
lively clubhouse as the Metropolitan Why
our club at home has as large member
ship and far handsomer house, bat men do
not crowd it day and night, Sundays and
weekdays, like this. Why, we don't under
stand club life, I'm afraid. Why, it's ike the
tap of the bell the way the men pour into
that club at every afternoon and Keep it
crowded until after O'Clock. and in the
after-dinner hours it is worse. There are
regular sets Of old stagers who are sure to
be found in certain corners and by certain
windows every afternoon. And at night
the club house. lighted from top to bottom
and crowded, is something we only know
ELECTION NIGHTS
Or when some big thing is happening in
town."
Yet strange to say election nights have
little effect upon Washington club-houses
and politicians are rarely seen in their daily
throngs. A few of the life-term Justices
and some Senators belong. but here at the
capital politics and the club do not affect
each other to any visible extent. Even the
attempt to start purely political club
failed, and the jefferson, which launched
out so bravey in the nrst year of the Cleve-
land Administration, went TO pieces and was
tOttering badly before the new regime came
In. The leading lights of the Jeffersonian
doctrines were not good clubmen. They
either did not show themselves often enough
in the clubhouse to reward the humber
members. who paid club dues chiefly to be
able to rub shoulders with the party lead
ers or coming very often, they we're al
ways posted for dues and the stewards
and governors had sad times with the
overdue bills, and generous members grew
tired of paying such accounts and keeping
these iliustricus names off tile bulletin
board. The Capitol building is the poll
ticians' club house, and has all the charac-
teTistics Of one on gigantic scale when
Congress Is in session. The national club
house has been much furnished up for the
new Congress that will occupy it next week.
New carpets have been laid to invite the
tobacco juice of the legislators, and the hon.
est Alliance men may rest their hobnails OIL
new plush and leather-covered furniture
worth whole farm crop, even in this sea-
son of abundant prosperity. The pit OF the
House chamber will be more crowded than
ever with the addition Of so many new
members. and the prof. lem of seat and desk
room for all has been serious one. Why