The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-11-14
HERE AND OVER THERE

| The present speaker of the House Of
| Commons is Bill Gully, the son of
| prize fighter of the city of Carlisle
| The speaker is now known as 'Tht
Right Honorable William Court Gully
Queens counsel" and he gets f25.OO0 a
year. He lives in an aristocratic coun
try, among an arictocratic element and
in an aristocratic way, but he rose from
| obscurity. So much the more honor to
him, for as the poet puts it: Honor and
shame from no condition rise and
equally the poets application Of the
saying: "Act well your part, there all
the honor lies" His position is main
tanned in great state, and his state and
station are surrounded by regal splen-
dor.
We refer to Tom Reed as the "Czar,
because of the great power he wields as
speaker of the American House, but
Tcm Reeds power comes more from
the force of the man himself than from
prestige or rule of law. Nobody or no
member is compelled to take of his hat
to Tom Reed, or if impelled to do so, it
is because of a recognition Of his great
ness as man. But not so with the son
of the prize fighter.
The current number Of Temple Bar
describes the opening of every sitting
in the House Of Commons. 1t is her
aided by the command: "Hats off! Way
for the Speaker These words are ut
tered by the inspector Of police on duty
in and about the palace of Westminster
''just as the Speaker emerges from the
corridor leading from his residence"
Temple Bar then proceeds to tell US
what follows the above command:
This appearance of the speaker is not
without an element of stately picturesque
ness First comes an usher, then the SER
genat-at-arns with the mace upon his
shoulder, followed by a couple of door
keepers dressed like the usher, in low-cut
waisteoats, short jackets, knee breeches,
and silk stockings; then the speaker in his
huge court wig and his long gown, which
is held up by a train bearer, followed by
two more door-keepers, attired like all the
figures in the procession in sober suits OF
solemn black. AS the procession slowly
trends it's way across the bright, tessalat-
ed pavement of the LOBBY, while the men,
oers stand by with heads reverently un-
covered its somber hue is emphasized by
the ornate frame in which it is set---the
richly nodded gray walls, the wonderful
oak carving, the stained glass windows
the fretted roof with its multicolored
grooves, and its dependent electric light
chandeliers In heavy orass---all of which
help TO make this famous vestibule of the
house one of the most beautiful architec-
tural features of the Palace of Westmin-
ster. The procession disappears through
the open portals of the house: the men,
bers liz the lobby crowd in after it. The
doors are then locked, and the voice of the
principal doorkeeper crying: Speaker at
prayers!' is heard resounding through the
lobby.
Think of Tom Reed in such role. and
imagine the howl which would ascend
TO the dome of the Capitol. Jerry Simp-
son. although a Britisher by birth.
would have fit over the spectacle.
The republic would be ''done for" the
ship of state hopelessly reefed and scut-
tied. The west as a whole would Sc
cede. Still England. with her panoplied
Gully. is stable. ancient and far reach
ing in her governmental influence.
takes more kindly to Tom
Reeds rough,shod rule than she does
even to the black robes which envelope
the dignified judges Of the supreme
court