Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-22
THE CHRISTMAS RECESS
A Breezy Little Farce Comedy in the
Senate Today.
The Plot Was Rather Mixed and One
of the Characters, n Quorum,
Was Missing.

There was a breezy little farce-comedy
enacted In the Senate this morning, with
Mr.. George of Mississippi in the principal
Icle. In the first act Of this production,
entitled THE Christmas Recess" there was
produced joint resolution from the House
of Representatives providing for an ad-
jocrnment from today until a week from
next Thursday. This was the nucleus OF
the plot. When tire stage manager, N.r
Harris of Tennessee, acting In the place or
Mr.. Stevenson of Illinois, put the resoiu-
ton on the stage the Director, played by
Mr.. George, got in the way of 1t. and there
was a brief scuffie, In which the Ob1ector
came out on top For time 1t looked as
though the Director might get hurt In the
scuff1e, but when the curtain fell at the
end of the act the resolution was out OF
sigh. behind the back drop. ae..-
The second act was opened by the en-
trance of the Promoter, which role was
taken by Mr.. Henderson of Nebraska. He
knew that the Director was thirsting for
an audience, and to give him an oppor-
tunity to deliver a very GOOD line he hauled
the resolution out of the dust of the back
wings and placed it on the stage by mo-
ton to send ii to the committee on appro-
priations. This was the Directors cue, and
for about twenty minutes he held the boards
with a beautiful speech about duty, and
right. and wrong, and precedents, and lots
of other things. Then the Promoter came
forward and made quite as pretty a speech,
showing how idiotic 1t would be to play to
empty houses all next week and how the
box office receipts would go to pieces, and
how easy it would be to adjourn over the
holidays, and how happy everybody would
be, except, perhaps, the Director, in the
enjoyment of the rest. The curtain then
fell on the second act leaving the audience
in considerable suspense as to what would
be the climax of this intricate plot. 1t was
a very well-behaved audience, for none OF
the men got up and went out between the
acts, and all the ladies' wore either small
hats or none at all. 1t would have done the
average kicker good to attend.
There was a general squabble at the be-
ginning of the third act, in which the Pro-
moter the Director and Prompter, play
ed by Mr.. Frye of Maine took active part.
At last the Promoter managed to get the
resolution out on the stage in condition
to be passed and the villain of the play.
the Director, experienced a change of
heart, and did grand transformation act
In full view Of the audience. He told
pitiful story of how he had consulted with
certain of his friends, who had promised to
support him in his career, and how they
had all told him that they were willing to
adopt the resolution. The trouble was, 1t
seems, that there was something called
Quorum that couldn't be found. 1t was
very much tangled, this plot. Without that
Quorum nothing could be done. But the
funny part of 1t was that very few people
wanted to find it. Well, anyhow, it all
came out right. The Juvenile lovers Were
united, the Promoter carried his point and
the Director accepted his fate with very
good grace, and the resolution, was passed
There was little afterpiece. entitled
1.-The Senator's Revenge" 1t was a dia-
logue between the Hopper, played by Mr..
Henderson, and the Blaster Of Hopes, play
ed by Mr.. George. 1t was a very neat little
thing. The Hopper brought out resolu-
ton which he was anxious to have passed.
1t was a dreadful thing-a regular attack
upon the liberties OF the people. 1t was
nothing short of q conspiracy. and IL
passed would cause the publication of a
lot of Admiral Walkers Hawaiian reports
by the government. Then the Blaster of
Hopes entered right-center with a very
strong speech as follows: Il object" Then
the resolution went over until 1895, and as
the curtain fell a smile of sweet salts
faction played about the features of the
Blaster Of Hopes until 1T got lost in the
meshes of his beard.
The Senate had real jolly time Of II
altORether