Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-08

Whya Visitor Was Excluded from csmmIssss
Room.


senatorial exclusiveness. For two or three
weeks habitues of the capitol have noticed
messenger or Waterman seated comforta-
bly, in chair in the middle of corridor
that leads to one of the senate elevators. 1t
is his duty to stop visitors who ara ap-
preaching the elevator and bid them turn
back and make the ascent in some other
way. Naturally American citizens do not
like this sort of thing. They think it an
imposition upon them and deprivation OF
their rights which cannot be tolerated.
When the average American citizen comes
to the capitol he wears an air of ownership.
He cannot get out of his mind the thought
that this great building and all it contains
its wealth of marbles, Of decorations. Of
magnificent furniture, Of works of arts
his by virtue Of his sovereignty as mem
Der Of the great army of sovereigns. There
fore the Waterman who sits in the center
of the corridor and stops people from going
to the elevator, as he is required to dc about
hundred times a day, has very difficult
job He has to stop and explain, which he
does with considerable dignity and polite
ness, but to him it must be an old and a sad
sort Of tale 1t is particularly embarrass-
ing to him when American citizens exercise
another Of their prerogatives, as they fire.
quently do, that Of cursing the American
senate and ell its customs, rules, priggish-
ness, exclusiveness and agents and iastru-
ments thereof.
The People aIust Walk.
The Waterman cannot help it. His duty
is to obey orders. If he should fail therein.
he would lose his place. And while the
new rule gives rise to a great deal of pro-
family and ruffles many spirits the senate is
not wholly to blame The American citi-
zen who flies into q passion over such sim
pie matter should not forget that the SEN
ate has some rights in the end of the CAPT
toll devoted to its use This new rule about
using the elevator is n product indirectly Of
the great silver debate of last summer and
autumn. That debate and the exciting in
cidents which attended it drew to the CAPT
toll every day large crowds of citizens. At
the night sessions particularly the throngs
were dense. They were not always savory
crowds.
While many of the finest sort of people had
curiosity to see what the senate was doing
and the greatest statesmen were saying, the
majority were Of that class known as 1.-The
great unwashed" They were of both col
ors and of all conditions of previous servi-
tude in the thraldom of personal unclean-
illness. They may be honest folk enough
and deserving, but not just the sort of peo-
pie one would choose to associate with.
These people crowded the elevator. At first
they would walk up and down, as was good
for them, but rs soon as they had dlscov-
cred there was an elevator near by and that
riding IN it was free to all corners you
couldn't have hired one Of these chaps to
walk up or down those two flights of gor-
geous stairs. They would wait for Is min
utes to get chance to ride. They filled the
elevator car with their bodies and their
odors and thoroughly enjoyed themselves,
no matter what other people thought or
smelled.
Naturally the senators did not like this.
Whatever else may be said about our grave
and reverend seigniors, whatever may be
their mental and moral condition and tend
encies, they are with very few exceptions
fine examples of personal cleanliness. 1t
was not pleasant for high toned senators to
be compelled to mix with the common herd
in going up or down the elevator. for one
don't blame them bit for trying to keep
at least one elevator as free as possible for
their own use.
In a Senate Elevator.
There are two senate elevators. This
one, which is now guarded by the watch
man, is the one which senator's use in 60
ing up or down to or from the restaurant
or their committee rooms. 1t is also the
elevator which leads to the reserved or
private galleries, which are used altogether
by the families of senators or by persons
having cards of admission to those gal
leres. Furthermore, it is the elevator
which the 200 newspaper men who have
right of access to the press gallery find it
convenient to use. None of these people
was shut out by the new rule. The fam
lilies of senators or persons holding cards
of admission to the reserved galleries and
newspaper men were freely admitted to
pass the alert Waterman on their way
to the lift. Other persons could walk over
to the other elevator or go to the stairs.
There was no hardship in this upon any one
who has right TO complain, but still the
American citizen refuses to be comforted
and lifts up his voice in vigorous and pro-
fame condemnation Of the whole tarnal
concern"
The senate has been Il great deal abused
for its eXclusiveness, and often these denun-
Citations have not been just or well founded.
The notion having gone forth that the SEN
slte Is an eACiUslNt GNIb I'll DOul, tHttu IL N
inclined to be "uppish" and priggish the
popular sense Of the proprieties of things in
this quarter is the more easily offended.
For instance, visitors to the capitol regard
another little elevator custom of the senate
rs downright selfish and contemplate.
Whenever a senator gets into the elevator
rar, lac tells the man in charge of the rope
whether he wishes to go up or down, and it
Ioesnt make any difference which way the
gther people in the car want to go, or how
long they have been trying to get there, the
senator, under the rule, is to he first served
In this way, about the luncheon hour, it
often happens that ii n newspaper man or
number of newspaper men start from the
basement for the gallery, with a senator or
two among them, the car stops half the
way up, or at the senate floor, aud the
statesmen alight, The journalists are
ready to continue their journey, but here
another senator steps in, with his appetite
prompting him to reach the basement as
soon as possible, and eXclaims Down.
The elevator conductor has no choice. He
knows the other passengers want to go up
in order to get at their work, but the sena-
tors wishes are law, and down he goes.
perchanee more senators, having finished
their luncheon, will come aboard at the
! 49,