Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1896-06-18


HIS LIFs wERE PrCkERED TO SAT -Gk
FRESIDEST-~
night session vas something of a sight
snd often wound up in feast Ii was
customary in those days for the ser
grant at arms to have an open spread"
30 which every body who could get ad-
mission to the chamber was welcome
On those occasions employees freely
ciinked glasses with scnator-. and it
" as with great reluctance that consent
was given for adjournment Times
havs changed. however. and a night -es-
son Of the senate Is now but tame
affair.
There have been numerous night ses-
sions full Of funny situations senator
Zeb Vance. Of North Carolina. who was
9 statesman. humorist. ait and orator.
once was made the victim - a practical
Joke; but the people in the galleries
suffered with him It was one night in
Is9o when the senate held its iirst night
session in the Fifty-frst congress. The
big light in the dome OF the capitol BE-
meath the fret Of the goddess Of liberty.
tlazei out brilliantly that night The
meeting was rendered necessary By the
desire Of senator's To be heard on ths.
question OF reciprocity. whieh came cut
for the first time. the debate being
opened By the brief but telling SPEECH
I cf senator Hale A night session Of the
senate always attracts a crowd Of spec-
tators-
The galleries were fall long before
eight O'Clock. the hour set for conven-
ing. and the visitors remained late. al
though the entertainments presented
was not strictly Erst-claSs- The curl
osity seekers were rather imposed pm
by a trick Of senator Dolph. who also
made a victim Of senator Vance. The
latter had be~n for many days fixing Up
great speech. intending To set himself
right with his tar-heel constituents. and
With southern democrats generally. The
Farmers Alliance had be~n very active
IN North Carolina. and the rood-natured
Mr.. Vance felt called upon to tickle
them with a speech The night session
was ordered specially for Mr. Nanee-s
benefit, and hosts OF bis admirers wao
always enjoyed his characteristic story
telling and mirth-provoking speeches.
were on hand. When President Ingalls,
gavel fell Mr.. Vance was ready to 20 on
with the programme His manuscript
was piled kigh on his desk. a glass OF
water was at his side. and his lips were
pucksred to say. MIR. President
when the solemn and slender DoIph, OF
Oregon. arose. and. being recognized.
began a dry and long-windssi speech
in opposition to reciprocity with Can
ada The surprise and disappointment
OF the audience. the senator's and every
body else was painful Mr. Vance. in
deed was indignant and disgusted. He
settled back in his chair and waited. He
waited a good long time. too. for both
the evening and the audience were half
gone when Dolph talked himself to
standstilI: and then he sat down.
Audience or no audisnce, Senator
Vance determined to deliver that speech
and he arose and began IT, He gIar~d a
senator DoIph who had spoiled his pro
gramme, adjusted his speetaeIes. and
lifted up his VOICE
In each Of the elOakrooms there was
a large bowl Of lemonade and several
baskets Of ApoIlinzris on ice Down
IN certain committee rooms. occupied
by senators vs. ho never INDUCED. Sena-
forial cold tea was en- tap for the. ia
vorsd few. Very little attention was
paid 10 the speech of senator Vance.
although his democratic colleagues did
listen occasionally. and the galleries sp-
plauded as loudly as they dared when
he reached one of mis- many humorous
points.
The scene In the chamber ~ ter
O'Clock. when Mr.. Vance was talking
vas interesting. IL not Inspiring. There
were just 20 senator's in the chamber.
Q dozen more in the cIoakroomS. " here
they could easily be seen through the
open door. and a score more were out
of sight in the various committee
rooms, ssmpling the smuggIed cold tea
Senators Hisccck and Evarts sat on the
back row, talking earnestly. the younger
with his gray hair arranged in the usual
disorder and his aged colleague eurlesl
up almost ou- of sight IN the big chair
of Senator Sawyer. Senator Hawley was
nervously lingering the manuscript Of
reciprocity speech and Senator Mitch
ell was reading an oregon newspaper
Down In the front row Edmunds. Gull
lom and Spooner were drawn up in a
bunch. telling stories and laughing 50
loudly that the presiding officer was
compelled TO warn them TO keep bette
order Senator Aldrich. the argu<-eyed
manager Of the tariff debate. was Jug
Cling with q great mass of figures n
his desk Through the clOakroom door
the handsome and well-dressed MeSfT-
Ian. Of Michigan. could be seen cracking
jokes with Saunders. Of Montana whose
three yards Of massive gold watch chain
shone like a streak Of lightning. Sena-
tor HOar kept his hat and cane in his
hands and went away early
On the democratic side. in the front
row. Morgan. Coekr~l and Coke sat
reading and writing. as IL they never did
anything else. The PagnaeicGz little