Omaha daily bee., 1891-12-27
THE UNITED STATES SENATE.
A Glance From the Gallery at the Nations
@ Statesmen.
" is A BODY OF ABLE BUSINESS MEN.
The Senate's Strength Lies i'm Its
Compictness as n Legislative
Working ~Body-The Past
and Pregent,

~
W~AsHiSGToS, ID. c., Dec. 25.-lSpecial to
The BEE. If you should stroll into the cap
itol some morning as noon approaches and de.
sire the best view of the senate at work, try
to secure a seat at the north end Of the re-
served gallery. There you will obtain full
sweep of the body from the presidents chair
to the old clock below the diplomatic gallery
and from the democratic side on your right
to the rear row where the new republican
senators "line up as If ready for the open
ing OF a gigantic game OF political foot bail.
Perhaps you may chance TO lind yourself be.
side one of those chronic bores, 1.-THE old res
ihent" II so. don't believe all that he tells
you. The old resident of Washington Is no
more truthful than the 'old RESIDENT of
Omaha, especially about statements which
one is unable to verify or to deny by the
book. So when he speaks of 1.-THE decline of
the senate of 1.-THE great men of the past, -
aud 1.-THE small men of the present. of the
tlundero1 eloqusuce OF the 4Os and the
0O's and the Co.'S you will do well to smile
quietly and remember that distance in pol
itics as well as in nature is necessary to give
perspective, aud that the mountain never
looks az high from the foothills as it does
from the ylaius. How many thousand years
ago was it that the scriptural chronicler
passing over David and Moses and
other men whom p~osterity places
upon a pedestal recorded regret
fully of a far distant past: There
were giants III those days. And so it will
be said a hundred years hence of this poiiti-
cal epoch and the one preceding it, with no in
vidious comparison of the Websters and Cal
houns and Clays, the Haynes and Bentons,
the Summers and Stevens and ConBlings
and Blaines. Even in writing | am
coming up very close to contemporary his
tory. The flowers planted on Roscoe Conk-
liug'S new made grave have not many times
put forth their petals, and Blaine'S name is
still one to %coDjure by.
The statesman is the product of experience
and opportunity. and there have been no
times OF storm and stress in American public
affairs when he has not been produced in
quality equal to the occasion. The struggles
tor representative government brought out a
series OF phenomenal political letters from a
l7-year-old college boy and Alexander Ham
ilton's star flashed over the horizon. John
Marshall was the glorious result of legal OPP
portunity and a vigin field for judicial inter
probation of constitutional principles; the APP
preaching storm of aoolitionism drow wizards
from north aud south to the old senate cham
Der where the black gowned justices of the
supreme court now browse and nod. Civil
war and reconstruction gave us other giants,
now called giants largely because opportunity
was given them to display their strength.
There are shrewd debaters aud forceful ora
tors today rs there were then. Please re-
member that Samson gained as much fame
by his skillful agility in utilizing TO his own
benefit the jawbone of an ass as he did by
the pulling down of the walls of the temple
IN which for the occasion he was the chief
attraction.
1t is a strong, able, vIrlle body OF men, this
United States seuate Of the FitJy-secund con-
gress. Speaking theatrically, it is a well
balanced company. Some of the stars are
gone, but there are able un ierstudies who
bye and bye will be the stars, compared for "a
time and to their disadvantage with their
predecessors and forwards referred to as
greatly the superior OF their successors. l
took the trouble TO run over the list of
United States senators from the First
congress to the Fiftieth the other
day and was surprised to note from
how few names the ink of permanent promi-
hence has not faded. Those which stand out
clear and enforce attention can be counted
almost on the fingers of both hands. AS time
goes by we barely glance at the yearly un-
folding scroll and the names blur before our
eyes. The black letter subheads of great
achievements connected with able and fUrtu-
nate participants have never been many and
have always been scattered. They are
likely to continue so.
"a SNA'Nb " oLo 40 - c'oAiNSo DOuNs L v
is tho Tost perfectly organized Legislative
body In the world. Congresses meet and aC-
journ, but the senate never ceases to exis
Every two years one-third of the senators
conclude their terms, but If none were re-
elected, two-thirds OF those present at the
next converting of the body would be old
members. 1t is a system which secures eX-
perience in the formulation, presentation and
discussion of legislation, stability in com
mlttee work aud ability in debate. Tumult
and disorder frequently mark the work of
the house. Tn business of the senate, ex-
cept on the rareSt occasions glideS along
without friction or disturbance. These have
wisely been eliminated behind the closed
doors of committee rooms, where often
months are passed in the discussion OF bills
and the formulation of new measures. The
smallneSs OF Its membership cuts of opportu-
nifty for interminable debate. The experience
of its membership points out short cuts for
needed legislation. and affords knowledge
of public needs. The demagogue
in the senate is not unknown
but he is known chiefly for his uniqueness
and generally appears in the last congress Of
a senatorial term when defeat or reelection
is staring the In the face.
congressman, on the other hand, are elect
ed once in Two and not in six years.
This is a long prelude. What | intended
to say upon starting out was that the senate
of today, as it has always been. is the most
effective and the most interesting legislative
body in tho world, that it is maintaining its
high character and that although there are
fewer gray heads there are as much vlrility,
loyalty and ability and a greater desire to be
in touch with the people than ever before.
The average is as good and the result record
shows the work.
LOOK down with me from the gallery. We
are sitting directly over the republican side,
which TANKS the chair of the presiding officer
on the left. On the right center sit Sherman,
Hoar, Dawes and Allison, Jones OF Nevada,
Hawley, Frye ana Cullom. Morrill,, the
Nestor of tho senate bends over the desk
from which for over u quarter of a century
great financial measures have been presented.
Go over TO the house or to any preceding
house of the past ten years and pick out If
you can a dozen republicans Of equal ability.
Add then to them Chandler and Stewart and
Wilson of Iowa, and Aldrich of Rhode
Island, and Platt of Connecticut and you
have the leaders OF the republican sIde-men
of deserved prominence, scarcely one of
whom has not been active in public lite for
more than u quarter of "a century and whose
name is not stamped upon most important
legislation.
Chairmen of great committees, responsible
for their committee work on the floor OF the
senate, occupy fully each legislative day
with legislative duties. Their party has
every reason to honor them and their country
to be satisfied with their services.
And why may not the same be said of such
democrats as Harris OF Tennessee, Carlisle
OF Kentucky, Morgan of Alabama, Gray of
Delaware, George of Mississippi, Butler of