The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-03-20

FRIENDLY OPPONENTS
| hontas, the still redder De Soto. and reddes,
of all the Pilgrims and Columbus But the
painting which attracts the largest crowd
and holds it longest is the surrender OF
Lord CORVALLIS, wherein Washington and
O'Iiara, British, French and Continentals,
are all Of an intense brick color, as well
they might be aftera an autumnal campaign
in that section Of Virginia.
A Vain Search For Epithets.
Unless he has a guide TO direct him the
visitor overlooks the famous bronze doors
and many other minor objects, but fingers
in the monument room and about the
iluted colums Of the capitol. The structure
as whole is indeed calculated TO excite
feelings Of pride and patriotism. II is
agreed, believe, by travellers that IL Is the
finest building Of its class in the world.
There are many palaces, cathedrals, etc.
much finer, Of course, but as a building
especially for the use of legislative body
it has no equal, and most Of the legislative
halls Of other nations are far inferior.
BY comparison with the hall Of the house
that Of the British house OF commons is
really ridiculous The visitor, however,
wastes no time in such reflections, but
when the first WEAKNESS Of Sightseeing
comes over him he hunts for his mem.
ber," meaning the representative from his
district, and Is shown a seat in the gal
lery, where his member. if business is not
pressing, kindly points out to him the no
liabilities upon the floor lie has read, of
course, the furious invcctives which enliven
the debates on the tariff and pensions He
knows how such epithets as rebel " rob
Der baron aud "plutocrat' are hurled
backward and forward, and how the mem
beers sometimes appear to be on the point
Of coming to blows. In bis minds eve,
therefore, be secs the two parties sitting
sullenly apart and glazing upon each other
with scarcely concealed rage. And yet in
these duh times, when the tariff act and
pension appropriation bill, the Hawaiian
business and the silver bill are out Of the
way, this is what he really sees-at any
rate, this ia what did see only the other
day:
Political Amenities.
IL was the warmest day Of the season so
far-warm as the average early May day in
New Iork-and the man who held the floor
had one 81 those peculiar singsong voices Of
which had not heard a fine specimen since
the days when ! attended the old country
chr~ch. a very few u the members were
chairs, and much larger number were in
the cloakroonls, from which issued the
flavor Of good cigars aud occasionally a
sound OF scarcely restrained laughter The
Hon. j. G. Black lay back In his chair, with
bis feet mp In such way that, as seen from
The reporters gallery, they almost entirely
concealed the rest of him.
Tom Reed aud SILVER Dollar" Bland
were sitting together talking and giggling
like two schoOlboys, while i'm front Of the
speakers desk Patterson Of Tennessee and
Burrows Of Michigan engaged in a cOnfab
until they drew nearer and nearer, put their
arms over each others shoulders and
bregthcd into each Others ears like two
young lovers Ia their most gushing state
Chairman Richardson leaned back I'm his
chair and lookc cd as If he wanted 10 sleep.
Clerks and officials looked like lazy school
boys on sunny afternoon. and even the
nimble pages seemed overcome with listless-
ness.
On such day az this it Is noticeable that
the members are frequently paired of on
political lines, Republican aud Democrat
occupying adjacent seats and indulging in
the amenities Of politics. There are. how
ever. a few men in every congress who new
er relax in this way, never forget that they
are partisans, and even on these dull days
they keep To their own side with military
precision. Aul they are not tine men who
use the most violent iuvective In debate by
any manner of means.
When one of these dronng speeches Is
ended and the doing period is past, IL
something u ana exciting nature comes up
IL is astonishing to note the sudden change
that comes over the house All the cleo
trical bells are set ringing To notify the
members in the committee rooms that they
are needed. They come rushing in thence
and from the cloakrooms and lobby. Dem
Ocrats and Republicans fall apart like
chemical units when the reagent isHppied,
aud at once the whole house serms 10 bris-
tie for political war. The uproar is really
bowildcrIug a new man la the gallery
must watch closely for hours before he can
master the fun Of business
Ia the senate
II T. in times like these that the house is
90 "a ward caucus, "a bear garden, /
"a "csve of Inc winds and the like. When, I
weary of this sort Of thing. the visitor goes
ever to the senate gallery, De finds a con
tra.l that f. actgei y. chilling In ordinary
times De- rarely ssg- r1rc than sd -cuutors
la their seats. Iltiu i~ uo dcmoustrat .
uf Hny kiud either q. r.nrcr in the gn,- /
lerie-. ana over thr WlDl, chamber there Is Z
an utmo lerr ~ fhe peace that passeth /.
The VISITOR nsts cr,i Of all that the sen /
l..s. froia h.s oxn state bc pointed out for I.
1iW. thou hail q duTru or $50 of the most 4
prominent men The greatest curiosity. Of /
coarse, b. a. see the venerable Morrill, Of /
n aru4orf nuN FnIw gIart,tar the Nsf.r.pa i