Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-03
CONGRESS- NOW In SESSION
Galleries We're Crowded but There Was
Little to Interest the Spectators,
SPEAKER REED GIVEN AN OVATION
Notable Changes I'm the Political Conc
plcxiou of the House and Sem
ate wings-Many New
Republican Faces.

representatives passed today into the control
of the republicans and Thomas Bracket
Reed of Maine again triumphantly assumed
the speakers gavel. The opening session
was, as is usual, an animated and brilliant
occasion, set Off with crowded galleries, in
holiday attire, intoxicating with the perfume
of hundreds Of floral tributes to popular
members and pervaded with spirit of jubi-
lation and good nature. Old, familiar faces
were absent, but there were plenty OF new
ones to take their places. Still, the proceed
ings themselves, as usual with opening ses-
sions, were of routine character, and devoid
of interesting sensational features. The
house simply organized adopted the usual
resolutions to notify the president and the
senate that the house was ready for busi-
ness, and wound up by indulgng in the BIZ
ennial lottery or seat drawing contest.
Speaker Reed was beyond question the
star of the occasion. His appearance was
! the signal for a most flattering and enthusiasts
tic demonstration. His inaugural was modest
and full of good feeling, but noncommittal as
| to politics. However it was not expected
that the speaker would touch upon questions
to be dealt with by the house.
| Ex-Speaker Crisp assumed the leadership
| of the minority and 1t was significant that
| Mr.. Payne of New York made the motion
the majority. This is taken to mean that
he is to be chairman of the ways and means
committee and the recognized leader OF the
| republicans on the floor.
| The utter rout OF the democratic party in
the congressional elections last fall became
apparent for the first time to the naked eye
| when the new house OF representatives as
| sembled today. No such revolution in the
personnel Of the members has occurred In
| recent years at least. Exactly 163 new faces
| appeared in total OF 356 members Some
Of the oldest and most tried leaders among
| the democrats were swept out by the tide
| which rolled up republican majority of 148
| in the Fifty-fourth house. or nnety-four
| districts north Of Mason and DiXon's line,
| which were represented by democrats in the
last congress, but fifteen returned democrats
| to the new house. In the new house the re-
publcans control thirty-one of the forty-four
| state dele cations, which insure that party
| the next presidency should the election be
| thrown into the house. They have twenty
| solid delegations while the democrats have
but four. In the once solid south" the
| Kentucky and Tennessee delegations are al
| most evenly divided. In North Carolina and
| Missouri the republicans control The West
| Virginia delegation is soldy republican.
| Texas and Virginia each have re-
publican and South Carolina and Alabama
| send popuists. The number of populists in
| the house is reduced from twelve to six.
VETERANS TURNED DOWN.
| Among those whose long service or strik-
| ing personalities make their absence in the
newly assembled house most noticeable are
such grizZled veterans as Judge Holman OF
Indiana the father Of the house" and "the
| watchdog Of the treasury" General Dan
Sckles of New York. the "hero OF Gettys-
burg "Siver Dick" Bland Of Missouri and
William M. Springer Of Illinois, General
Hooker of Mississippi and General Hatch OF
Missouri. Others there whose terms OF
service were shorter, but whose talents and
ability made them exceptionally prominent.
like William l.. Wilson, Bourke Cochran,
William ]. Bryan, Tom johnson, John De-
witt Warner of New York and Champ Clark
Of Missouri Thomas Dun English Of New
Jersey, Buck Kilgore of Texas Dan Lock-
wood of Buffalo, Michael Harter of Ohio, Sib-
ley Of Pennsylvania, General Tracy of AL
bany, Joseph Cultivate of Ohio, Benjamin
Enoa of Tennessee. Geary Of California,
McGann of Illinois, Lafe Pence of Colorado,
DR.. Everett Of Massachusetts,, Asher Caruth
of Kentucky and w. c. p. Breckenridge OF
the same state and Jerry Simpson. These
and many others are gone, but there are new
men of as striking ability, as interesting and
historic Of pecularities to take their places.
Among them are General James A. Walker
from Virginia, George l.. Wellington OF
Maryland, William e. Barrett Of Massachu-
sets, George P. Harrison, Alabama, William
C. owens of Kentucky, George N. South
wick of Albany, N. Y; b. H. Atwood from
Boston, Grove l.. johnson of California.
NEW BLOOD IN THE SENATE
The presence Of new blood is quite as
noticeable in the usually slow-changlng sem
ate as In the house Among the most notable
Of the absentees are Butler Of South Caro-
line, Ransom OF North Carolina, Coke Of
Texas, Dolph Of Oregon, Henderson OF Me-
braska and Mcpherson of New Jersey. OF
the thirty senators whose terms expired on
the 4th Of March last. only thirteen were re-
elected. The new men are: Augustus G.
Bacon of Georgia, who succeeds Patrick
Walsh; Lucien Baker of Kansas, vice John
X. Martin; Marion Butler of North Carolina.
Montana. vice Thomas G. Power; Horace
Chiffon Of Texas. vice Richard Coke; Stephen
b. Elkins of West Virginia. vice j. M. Cam
den; John w. Gear OF Iowa, vice j. II. Will
son; George w. Mcbride of Oregon vice j.
N. Dolph; Thomas S. Martin of Virginia, vice
Eppa Huntoon; Knute Nelson Of Minnesota,
vice w, d. Washburn; w: j, Sewell Of New
Jersey. vice J. d. McPherson; John M.
Benjamin r.. Tilman of South Carolina, vice
M. c. Butler; Il. C. Wathall OF Mississippi.
vice A. j. McLaurin; f, G. Warren OF Wyom-
ing, vice J. NJ. Carey; George p Wetmore
of Rhode Island vice Nathan V. Dixon.
The prcponderance OF seats on the re-
publican side was noticeable, three having
been transferred from the democratic division
to accommodate Messrs. Eklns, Baker and
Sewell, all republicans and one for Mr.. But
Ter, populist. Four Of The six independents
now have seats In the republican section.
All Washington lays siege on the big capitol
building on opening days and today there
ent changes involved ard the large influx
OF new blood The crowd came through
drizzng rain, mist and mud In conveyances.
street cars and In long lines or foot, pouring
through the many entrances. choking the
corridors and elevators. and besieging the
galleries far beyond their capacity. but IL
was an orderly crowd, and the largely aug
mented force of officers had little trouble
in preserving order and preventing confusion.
BY 1890 O'Clock. an hour and half before
the time of meeting. the public galleries in
both houses were filled. and an eager crowd
overfowed into the outer corridors. Many
women were In the throng. but there was
noticeable lack Of color and fair weather
costumes, which usually give touch Of
brightness 10 the somber chambers.
SCENES IN THE HOUSE.
The Fity-fourh house OF represen ntatlyes
was called 10 order al noon.
BY 10 O'clock the marble corridors were
thronged with sightseers and place hunters,
and before II o'clock the galleries. public
and private. were packed TO the doors. From
the galleries the visitors looked down upon
an animated but confused scene on the floor.
New members, old membsra ex-members
and place seekers chatted In groups aud
filed the hall with a roar of voices. On the
speakers desk were great bunchss OF Amer