People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-08-26
POWDERLY IN CONGRESS.
HE TELLS OF HIS EXPERIENCE IN
THE NATIONAL LEGISLATURE.
ROwdying and Riot Rampant - Con-
duct Of SO-calIed Legislators a
Disgrace to the Republic.

OISSEdc0 10 inc hepuUAlCS
AS a member of the the third
house / occupied a seat in Congress
en- the day that Thomas E. Watson
aroused the virtuous Indignation Of
the Democrotic majority by repeat
ing, and emphasizing, statement
which occurs in his book: "Not a
Revolt; 1t is a Revolution" My
seat was directly in front of the
speaker, and I held good position
had | desired to catch the eye of the
speaker. I used to wonder why that
part of the House was labeled "Gen-
tlemen's Gallery" but | shall never
again have occasion to rise to a point
Of information. The sign "Gentle-
mems Gallery" is placed above that
door SO that members of Congress
will not stay in there during business
hours their place is right in front
of the "gentIemen" and between
them and the speaker. [ never
could quite understand why the pre-
siding officer of the House Of Rep
resentatives should be called "The
Speaker" and what was but ques-
ton in my mind has resolved itself
into a most profound mystery since
that brief experience on the after
noon Of July 20. Having had some
experience III presiding over leglsla-
tive bodies, I acquired the habit of
-eo2nti2g a-risia 3 vote very quickly,
and during the time that Mr.. Wat
son occupied his unenviable position
on the congressional gridiron |
counted thirty three members
standing up and disturbing
the meeting by speaking" to one
another; in fact, nearly all of those
who were on their feet were doing
more speaking than the alleged
speaker. The thirty three members
who stood up to be counted without
being asked to do so, occupied vari-
Gus positions, all of them somewhat
different from that which the YER
dant voter pictures in his minds eye
when he invades the realm of fancy
to scan the outlines Of his ideal con-
gresham. Standing before mass
meeting, addressing the people on
the issues of the day, while Incl
dentally appealing for the suffrages
of honest citizenship Of the con-
gressional district, the candidate for
Congress is neatly dressed in a
Prince Albert coat, patent-leather
shoes, stylishly- made pantaloons, and
with more or less expense of shirt
front appearing beneath nicely
fitting collar. He appears the EN-,
bodyment OF manly grace and dlgni-
fed craftsmanship. With one hand
slipped inside the flap of his tightly
buttoned coat, and with a roll of pc
titions-for an appropriation for a
post, office buiIding-in the other
hand, our aspirant for Congress
stands the impersonation of the
noblest work of God-and the tailor.
On the day that l looked down on
Congress-I do not mean to reflect
on that body by saying that looked
down upon it, and l hope that no
investigating committee will be ap-
pointed to inquire why | say this, for
/ could not help looking down on
them-they would not let me in on
the ground floor, and | had to take
the elevator and ascend to a point
where [ had to look down or not see
them at all. My experience of that
day taught me that it behooves one
to be particularly careful in speaking
about Congress, and l pause just
here to remark that the elevator of
which 1 speak and the one that
Brother Watson alluded to are two
different kinds of elevators. In JUS
tice to myself, being a temperance
man, it is best that | make myself
clear on that point, but 1 digress,