The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-02-11
." Bah" Is IN WASHINGTON.
THE SENATE DOES NOT IMPRESS HER.
She Dislikes the Force Bili-The Women of
the National Capital-Society General
Iy-A Dearth of Young People
General Impressions.

ers get lltIle Dit laggeu out LDey come
down here for change OF scene and to get
something good to eat. For my own part
think had the things to eat more in my
minds eve than / had the change OF scene,
but got both. Washington is, to my way
OF thinking, one of the loveliest places in
the world, and driving over its streets is
like caroming over billiard table. The
equipages in Washington are remarkable
for cbeapness and civility; that is, the
charges are cheap and the coachman is
civil. The horses are i remnant of the
middle ages, and while they are not vio-
of trotting along that is interesting. The
carriages are funereal to degree that Is
awe-inspiring, but it is just as well in
Washington for one to think of the here
after once in a while.
What have | done?
Well, have learned what the force bill
means, for one thing. and l consider it
very unjust. l do not see why the poor
unfortunate negro, who has had freedom
thrust upon him, should be forced to leave
his dinner and prance off to the polls; |
don't see why any human being should be
forced to vote if they don't want to, and |
also utterly fail to see how they are going
to force people TO vote, unless they run
them in at a point of the bayOnet, and
then, perhaps, that much-complained-o
part of the country, the South, will, like
the much-quoted worm. turn and kick
l have also heard senator speak. and
for bad elocution, for wretched pronunci-
alton, for a clear and compact ignorance
of English as she should be spoke, ne is
to be commended. ! had never been TO
the senate before. ] pictured it as an i'm
posing body, where men thought out great
deeds, spoke In way worth hearing and
were altogether a credit to the people who
had sent them there. Instead | found q
lot of glunt misunderstanding creatures,
with the cuspidors Outnumbering them
by ten or tweive, who sat with their feet
on their desks and who slept
while the other man talked. They
didn't seem to me to represent anything
but second rate bar-room, and | don't
care what their politics are, the senators
OF the United States, always excepting Mr.
Evarts, are a disgrace to the nation at
large. l am told they have bathroom
in the senate. Most fthe members looked
as if they needed it. A number of them
wore wigs. and the rest of them didn't
know how to comb their hair properly
Now, the house of lords is stupid-ineffa-
bly,. undeniably, and positively stupid, but
1t looks dignitied and impresses the peo-
pie, and that is great deal more than
getting up and calling men liars and pol
troons about the force bill.
am very sorry have seen the senate !;
il is another illusion gone, and l shall feel
no interest in the future for the four votes
that | control. l looked for the female
lobbyist, and in vain, but if had any,
thing I'D before the senate and wanted it
to pass. l would set up firs,-class grog-
shop as near the capitol as possible. /
would have two English bar-Inaids to
manage it, and l would get my bill
through. One senator, who didn't sleep
quite as calmly as the others, had on
brilliant blue tie, and could be distin-
guished by that for quite distance. 1t
was about the only thing l noticed that
was calculated to attract attention.
The woman who isn't married at all
has something to be thankful for-that is,
that she didn't marry a politician.
would be jiggered-with very large j.
ii l would sell my soul to the mob because
my husband happened to be senator
The senators and representatives wives
are the property of the public on certain
afternoons, and the American public is
not slow to take advantage of it's opportu-
mites. Women of all sorts and condi-
tiOns; women who are rude, addressed,
ill-mannered. and not pleasant to look
upon In any way, calmly 60 to
houses where they are not known at
all, stare at the hostess and her
assistants, partake of her hospitality
and then go away and find fault with
N hon 1
heard some women down there giving
vent to their feelings 4 youngish woman
in red frock trimmed with gold braid
and red hat with a gold pompon upon
1t, was at a charming reception given by
Mime. Romero, and l watched her while
she consumed four plates of ice cream
three glasses OF punch, cup of coffee,
one OF chocolate, some cake and few
sweets, and then heard her murmur to
her companion: II like to go to house
where they have salads" / don't know
what this woman will have in the future,
but hope she will get a salad with so
much tabasco OF it that foretaste will be
given her here.
Suppose l am a senator from-well,
from Washington say L have got a
charming wife, who is pleasant and hos
pitable, who likes to receive her friends,
and who has the womanly wish to be
popular. Now, if she were in her own
home and she were receiving my constitu-
ems because il was polite TO do so, l could
understand a raid being made upon her
for few days; but these people here are
not my constituents, and, unless they are
invited, they have no right to invade my
house. The result of the beautiful system
that obtains is that the average woman in
Washington in political circles is tired
out, wearied to death by people she
doesn't know, and doesn't want to know,
and she becomes bundle of nerves while
she gains nothing from it at all. l con-
sider the whole system OF social life, so
far as receptions are concerned, to be in
decent. A man certainly has right to
his house and his wife, and strangers have
no right to come in and criticise either
the one or the other.
Who is the handsomest OF the justices
| wives? Probably Mrs. Gray. She is
| young, but she had a course of superb So
cial training in her father's-Justice
Matthew's-house, and she knows exactly
how to say the pleasant word TO visitor,
how to stand well, aud how to make a
graceful good-by. This is a wonderful
art. Mrs. Harlan is decidedly
dignified and attractive, and she
impresses one with the fact that she warts
you to be happy in her house and
hat she is glad that you came. But the
most delightful house OF all is Justice