The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-01-28
HIS CONSTITUENT,

SA>~SI -
HIS CONSTITUENT.
pied with the fact that in the popular
branch of congress the debate is nearly
always livelier than it is in tho American
house of lords, is much more frequently
embellished with epithets or seasoned
with the spice of bad tempers.
When the Surface Is Runied
When the house is calm, visitors are
not numerous. But let the surface be-
come rufiled, let the storms of debate
brew, and the big audience comes with
amazing MISUNDERSTANDING from it is as
difficult to guess rs who they are But
In some unknown manner the word is
passed round, and from some unknown
spots the listeners hasten and the CALLER
les are soon filled. So it was last week.
when fierce battle was waged over the
tariff. 1t had not been expected. No
one had forcscen the rafting fire of bat
terics and small arms that filled the hall
OF the house with smoke and also left
number of wounded lying on the field
When the row began, there were only
few people in the galleries. In less
than an hour they were filled to over
flowing, and men and women, both
white and black, stood in long lines
awaiting chance to enter. To tell the
whole truth, far more than half Of these
curious persons were black. The appe-
tite of the negroes of the Capital City for
tariff debates is wholly inexplicable-
and all sorts of debates, for the matter
of that. Day i'll and day out they con-
stituto majority of the congressional
orIia,nnc ac
sleep, and now and then an oratorical
congressman on the floor below has his
periods punctuated by the snores of an
enthralled occupant of the galleries
The Newspaper Men.
Possibly the crowd learns of scenes of
interest in the house by watching the
newspaper men. The correspondents of
the Capital City are n thermometer
worth watching. At 1 o'clock of an
afternoon there may not he half dozen
newspaper men in the house gallery.
They are ut luncheon i'll the restaurant
down stairs, in the committee rooms
talking to members or lOunging in their
own spacious and comfortable lobby.
where they have cheerful open fires paid
attendants and all the conveniences of a
private Office. 1t would be difficult to
say where the country is ruled-on the
floor below or up here i'll this meeting
place of the Washington correspondents.
or one thing You may he sure-when the
press men leave their easy chairs, drop
their story telling and joking and rush
into the gallery something really inter
esting is going on.
The average correspondent is great
cynic. More than cynical, he is blase as
to speeches, debates and incidents. He
is so hardened to all these things that
it takes something extraordinary to
rouse his interest, but if there is to be
some real fighting he wants to be in ut
the death. Thus it often happens that
where 10 minutes before the press WAS
wholly unrepresented in the house gal
lery fully hundred men suddenly ap-
pear. They flock from all parts of tho
capitol, and even come hurrying up from
their Offices down town.
Potent Factors.
Visitors to Washington are surprised
that the newspaper correspondents spend
30 little time in the galleries of the house
and senate. They wonder how the press
men are able to report the debates with
out hearing them. But as a general
thing the special correspondents have
little to do with the debates Oh the floors
of the two houses. They are covered by
the reporters of the two press associa-
tons, men who sit at little tables in
front of the desks Of the vice president
and the speaker, who write shorthand
and have nothing else to do day after day
but make up accounts Of what is said by
senator's and representatives. 1t is only
on extraordinary occasions that the spe-
cial correspondents "handle" the debates
such occasions as that fierce hand to
hand fight in the house over the tariff a
few days ago. Then the brightest and
keenest of the specials so in for stories
that are worthy the incident and suited
to the tastes of their journals.
The newspaper men are an important
feature of life at the capitol. They are
everywhere. Their influence is almost
unlimited. They and not the lobbyists
constitute the third house." and it is
still an open question which is the most
powerful-senate, house or press gallery.
If the first two make laws, the third makes
or molds public opinion. If the members
of the bodies exercise great influence
upon the correspondents, so do the cor