The Washington times., 1894-08-21
CLOAK ROOM AND GALLERY.

There happened on the floor Of the United
States Senate on Friday a little incident which
very few people noticed and the exact truth
of which has not been told. When Senator
Hill arose to pass his criticisms on the method
of appointing Senator White to the vacancy
on the Finance Committee by the Democratic
steering committee and closed by submitting
that the proper course to pursue would be to
call Democratic caucus, Senator Blackburn
was on his feet in an instant and muttered in
an undertone some words to the New York
Senator wanting to know what difference that
made to him. "You were not invited to the
last Democratic caucus, and were not there -
he said.
81 was invited, but 1 didn't go because l
preferred not to-" replied Senator Hill still in
an undertone.
"You will not be invited to the next one"
he strobe into the Democratic cloakroom, he
hissed DIRTY whelpr' in tone distinctively
audible to number of Senators. Senator
Hill did not move muscle.
The next day Senator Blackburn was said
to have declared that he had called Hill by
that name ON the floor of the Senate, and that
he had not resented it. The two Senators
are not deeply in love with each other just
now, as a result of the affair, but It is said
there are to be no further Developments.
One Of the most amusing performances con-
nected with the closing days OF the tariff fight
in the House, more humorous than the scram-
BILE for the possession of the tariff BILL was the
scramble between Messrs. Isidor Strauss and
Charles Tracey, the rival ''cuckoos," for the
1f
was much more successful from the start, and
managed to decide who should and who
should not talk with Mr.. Wilson about as ef-
fciently as Mr.. Thurber controls audiences in
'The August Presence"
The merry war between the two Congress-
sional rivals began at early morning and
rarely ended until evening, but the most
amusing scenes were at dinner at the Arling-
ton Hotel in the evening. Messrs. Tracey
and Strauss had adjoining tables, and the
prime object OF Mr.. Strauss, when the dinner
had arrived. appeared to be to prevent Mr..
Wilson being addressed by any one, but espe-
cially Mr.. Tracey, without the assent and
permission of Mr.. Strauss. At one time
during the early stage of the rivalry Mr..
Strauss was very careful to place himself be-
tween Messrs. Tracey and Wilson SO as to
monopolize the latter, and it is said that some
of the meals at which, by accident Mr.. Tracey
sat nearest to Mr.. Wilson and actually ex-
changed a few words with him, were very
brief indeed.
But Mr.. Strauss was soon the complete
victor and Mr.. Tracey was entirely out OF ii.
If any one wauted to know the latest news,
eithe. from the conference or the White
House, Mr. Strauss was the person to see
He had ali the inside information and dis
pensed it with lavish favor. especially in pre-
dieting free raw materials on great many
things that are not free after all, and having.
according to all indications, the settlement
of the whole question In the palm OF his
hand.
Now that the struggle is over, Mr.. Strauss
still keeps possession of the chairman of the
Ways and Means Committee. and has taken
him up to the Jersey coast for q bit OF sea air.
''It is now about time,' said Congressman
yesterday, THAT Mr.. Wilson were allowed his
freedom again. The fight for the possession
Of the tariff bill is over, and there is no reason
why the fight for the possession Of Mr.. VIII
son should not be over, too."