The morning news., 1892-02-20
SENATORIAL CUSPIDoR6.
The Luxurious and Convenient Recep-
tacles for Our Legislators.
From the Washington Star.

AAS anu SOUV0u1euJ It6C6Q-
tacles for Our Legislators.
From the Washington Star.
"Man wants but little here below" sang
Oliver Goldsmith. but that was about $50
years ago. Nowadays man wants every
thing in sight, and would like to secure an
option on all desirable but temporarily in
visible possibilities There are some men,
however who may keep on wanting things
until long after the cows have come home,
but their plans are forever being upset,
their calculations never work out 10 salts
factory conclusions. and when life itself
comes to an end the buffeted authors of
countless hopes leave for another world
laden with large stock of reasonable bat
unsatisfed desires.
NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS.
In this class will be found but few of the
United States senators who live and flourish
in these happy days, and none of their dis
appointments can ever be traced to any
meanness or stinginess on the part of the
Senate. The senator gets what he wants.
THE NATIONAL 'STooN.
An observant Frenchman who was in and
around the capitol week or so ago said
that the spittoon and not the eagle should
be the national emblem. Wherever he went
he found himself always in close proximity
to one or more of thse receptacles, which the
reil r, to his credit, knows so little Of.
One Uf the things ne failed to find
out was why some of these
receptacles were called sDittoons while
others intended for the same use were styled
cuspidors The distinction he noted is car.
ried out even in official documents. notably
in the list of United States property now
in the keeping of the sergeant-at-arms of
the Senate. Why should the committee on
tl,ll
cusptdors while the committee ON eugrossed
bills has to be content with two spittoons.
TIE number OF these "national emblems" is
not small. In all there arc 369 of them
scattered throughout the Senate wing, TO
say nothing of the sixty more now shut up
i'll the store room. AS to design aud color
and size there is great variety-ranging
from the tell green vases in the Senate
chamber through the intermediate stages Of
d-paintedand delicately hued porcelain
and its decorated kin to the Common, every
day clay or papier-mache jules holders.
There is variety also in tue value. Some
of the more artistic specimens are worth
something Ike 81 each, while otners may
be bought for 30 cents. There are more
than four of them-plain or decorated,
broken or whole-for each member Of the
Senate. In the Senate chamber there are
just thirty-four spittoons, although in the
leather sofas oa which peop may st to
eject the surplus which bothers every
chewer A few of the unregenerste, how
ever, make use Of the air-duct exits and the
carpet.
OUT OF PROPORTION.
In some Of the rooms the proportion of
spttoous is a tritls disproportionate; not
that they are too numerous but that some
other useful articles are not sufficiently
plentiful. The Senate press gallery is cred
tied with the possession Of twelve cusDidors
but IL has only one COMB and one hair
brush. The press gallery is ahead of the
committee on public Iaads. though, for
while that organization has four spittoons
1t is without q comb.
Local pride will doubtless feel gratifed
over the fact that the Senate district COM
mittee has the largest committee callection
Of spittoons. There are eleven of them al
together and some OF the specimens are fine
enough to be designated cuspidors. In the
Presidents room there is only one spittoon,
but it is tall and of great capacity. There
is neither comb nor brush in this apartment,
becaese the President only occupies it once
year and he invariably attends to his
toilet before going to the capitol.
There are three brass cuspidors 10 the
Vice Presidents room and on the mantel is
complete comb and brush combination
ready for the use of any distinguished visi-
tor who may drop in.
PLENTY OF MAKEsHIFTs.
The farmers who attend TO senatorial
agriculture and forestry have only these
sDittoons available while the committee Ia
in session, but this rather meager supply is
materially helped out by slop jar, which