The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-06-03
HOW A CONGRESS- DIES.
The Last Days OF the Moribund
Fifty-F,rst Congress.
Scenes In the Senate and House-Some Arc
Ridiculous and Others Slightly Dra-
matic-Speaker Reeds Last Re
mark to His Colleagues.
Especial Washington Correspondence

Especial Washington correspondence
The last week of the short session of
congress is always busy season. Ev-
erybody is rushing and hurrying, from
the president down to the watchmen
and messengers in the executive depart
ments, as we'll us the statesmen and
their helpers on Capitol hill. The
president is besiegcd and bored every
day and every hour by those anxious
patriots who want their names sent to
the senate for confirmation before con-
gress adjourns. He reads every line of
every bill which is passed, and scans
infinitely each appropriation bill before
signing his name to it, lest thereby he
may officially sanction something which
does not meet with his entire approval.
The gentlemen who procure and facili-
tate legislation, commonly known and
spoken of as lobbyists, take the time of
the president to explain the bright side
of their schemes to him, in order that
he may not be tempted to veto the
measures upon which they have spent
SO much time and talent. In addition
to these multifarious calls upon his
time, the president has held his cabinet
meetings regularly, and managed to
take little outdoor walks in the even
ings- But he has been one of the hard
est worked men in this or any country
for several days past.
Big Tom Reed has been an object of
interest to the sight-seers who have
been here in great numbers. They all
go to the capitol, of course, as that great
structure is the center of popular at
traction day and night during the last
week The wide and long corridors
have been packed almost to suffocation,
while the galleries have been unwhole-
somely close and uncomfortable. The
crowds have been jostling each other
the parties with little claims pending
being most oblivious of the rights and
pleasures of others. They have driven
their representatives. and senators al
most to desperation by frantic appeals
to have their cases made special, re-
quest which no one man can grant, as
1t takes unanimous consent in the house
to pass bills when congress is about to
expire. There are upwards of seven
thousand private bills dying on the
house calendar and about three thou
sand OF the claimants have been in the
city urging their bills upon their repre-
sentatives. asking them TO accomplish
the impossible. These members, in
turn, have laid siege to the speaker, so
that the list before him, containing the
names of the congressman who want to
catch the speakers eye and be recog-
nized is indeed formidable list. The
anxious constituents leave Washington
bitterly dcnouncing their congressman,
N
denouncing Speaker Reed, because he
could not or would not recognize them
while they stood upon the floor shouting
Mr.. Speaker" until their throats almost
split, while the stained glass in the
great ceiling cracked with their reycr-
berations of resonant wrath For
nearly twenty-four hours the speaker
stood upon his feet hammcring upon
the desk before him with n heavy
mallet, and repeating again and again:
'"The house will be in orders" but the
house never has been in order for n
single minute. Chairmen of committees
have been rushing TO and fro on the
floor of the house, pages have been
running their spare little legs almost
off of them, the reading clerks have
been reading in n babel of confusion;
and nll these things have afforded
amusement and entertainment for the
galleries. Ladies dressed to death IN the
finest q 4abrics, with no business what.
ever save to see and mayhap be Seen,
have compelled their senators to come
out Of their comfortable quarters, escort
them to the private galleries and squeeze
them inside of the doors to the utter
ruination of their dresses, as we'll as to
the discomfort and anger of all other
ladies already there. One great. big
woman with a claim had little Senator