The Progress., 1892-12-17

WHAT VISITORS EXPECTED TO SEE.
mittance to the galleries of the house, and
every one who could obtain seat or bit
of standing room remained throughout the
session, which fortunately was a short one.
In the senate galleries there was a crowd,
too. but it was overflow from the house.
People who could not get their noses inside
the doors at the house end OF the Capitol
went over to the other end and found seats
as the next best thing. 1t is always like
this. One of the most peculiar features OF
Washington life is the immense popularity
of the house of representatives as COM
: pared with the senate The latter body is
probably too dignified and slow, too drowsy
and stupid, to attract the multitude. 1t
contains great number of famous men OF
course-men whom every one who visits
Washington wants to have look at. 1t
therefore happens that all strangers in the
capital city run in on the senate long
enough to take a peep at the well known
senator's; but it is the bustling, noisy,
devil-may-care house, characteristic
American assemblage, that fascinates the
visitor and holds him in his seat till his
dinner is cold.
A great pity It has always seemed to me
that the builders of the new wings of the
Capitol did not provide more room for
spectators. The galleries of the house
will hold only l,6O0 people, which is
pretty small number considering the pic.
turesqueness of the show and the throngs
of people who would like to see it on its
best days. About one-half of the seats are
taken up by members wives and families,
the diplomatic corps, the friends of the
president and his family, and the members
of the press, leaving not more than 800 OF
800 seats available for the general public.
The house is always interesting on the
first day after a recess, particularly after
recess in which so much political happens
as has occurred during the last month. II
is interesting not for what it does, but foi
the men it snows-the victors and the van
quished, the men whose careers have come
to timely or untimely end, as the case
may be, and those who are proud and
happy in having secured new lease OF
life from their constituents. Such day
as this is a sort of vanity fair in politics.
1t is day on which the successful man
struts and poses just little, no matter
how well balanced and how thoroughly
self contained he may be at other times.
The most dignified statesman is so proud
of q reelection, especially if he has been
hard pressed, that when he hrSt gets an
opportunity to show himself before his as
ssociates human nature asserts itself, and
he displays the plumage of his pride. 1t
seems to him that he must be the center of
all observation; that every one on the floor
and in the galleries is saying, "See the
Hon. Mr.. Blank; has been triumphantly
reelected by his people; rising man; great
future" Whenever one of his associates
approaches him he feels instinctively that
it is for the purpose of offering congratula-
-tions, and his smile is ready.
In fact, he wears continuous smile,
which after half hour or so becomes a
little weary and even sickly. OF course all
the people in the galleries are not noticing
or thinking Of the Hon. Mr.. Blank. Very
few of them are aware of his identity or
existence. And as to the members on the
floor. there are so many of these rising men
who have been triumphantly reelected
(why isit tlat a man is always ''trium-
phantly" chosen to succeed himself in Of
ficeO that it is impossible to make ones
stock of congratulatory exclamations and
adjectives go round.