Evening star., 1896-09-19
A CAPITOL EFFECT.
A Mnn With n Notion In His Head
. VndcrEOes a Change.

AS Star reporter waited at the Balti-
more and Potomac station for train
from New York an accommodation from
the south came in. and one Of the passen-
gers from it ambed along UP to the gates
and came head on to the man waiting for
somebody else. He was a sharp-eyed.
hairy-faced. thin-necked store-clot hesi.
anxious-looking sort of a chap, and the
reporter was undecided at first whether his
md was knave a fool, and he
wasn't long finding out.
Say" said the new arrival with that
friendly familiarity any stranger uses on
a reporter. some way by intuition, for
there is no outward evidence that a re-
porter is what he is-"say I'm lookin' for
the Capitol Of the United States. You've
got 1t In this town. haven't your"
Il presume you mean the Capitol build
dignity.
'The same" said the new arrival. with
the accent on the first word. "WiIl you
tell me how to get there from here?'
Right out through this building and on
out the street till you come to the wide
street beyond. and turn to your right The
rest or the way you may walk or ride, as
you prefer
The man was apparently in no hurry,
for he showed a disposition to linger and
converse.
IT'S a right big buildin'. amt it?' he
asked.
Zone Of the largest in the world?"
Il understand 1t cost something like
forty or fifty millions of dollars, and the
taxpayers had to pay for it." and there
was disagreeable tone in his voice
What's the difference what it cost%'
said the reporter. 1T is the Capitol of this
great country, and We can afford to have
1t pretty good
The man grew visibly excited.
That's what I'm here fer" he said,
fiercely. I'm getting ready some cam
paign speeches for the populist party. and
/ thought II I'D har N ho o1 af
the n ltion and see what extravaganza
there has been here 1 could talk sense 10
the down-trodden and oppressed people of
my party and all others that has been
bearin' the burdens of the rich all these
years. Right here In this one buildia
there has been enough Of the people s
money spent to buy farms fer hundreds and
set them UP in comfortable homes. It's q
shame and a outrage. sir. and the hand Of
| the sufferin people should shut on the
| throat of their despoilers, sir. This nation
| amt a nation for rich people. and there
| never was any use of that kind Of g
| buildin' for the government to be carried
on in. I've never saw it, and I'm here te
| take look and go back and tell my peo
| pie the plain facts in the case, sir. Wher,
| did you say I'd go to find it?"
| The train from New York had come IN
and the friend the reporter was looking
| for did not arrive.
| Come with me-" he said to the gentle
| man from Popville, "and I'll show you"
walked along and he was hot as cottor
| when they reached the avenue.
| There's the Capitol said the reporter
| pointing to the east
| Possibly 1t was that the sun fell pecu
| liarly upon the building at the moment oI
it may merely have seemed SO, but the
great white dome, set between its pillaref
| wings, appeared to float above the greer
| of the earth into the blue of the sky ant
| to stand out beyond and above the city a.
| If IT were not made with finite hands. bu
had taken on the spirit of the infinite an,
set itself as a seal forever in the heavens
The reporter, as often as he had seen th
building. was impressed with the beaut,
of it, and he turned to the stranger witt
him. For fully two minutes the man stoo,
gazing upward as If looking into the sky
but his eyes were on the dome. Then h
gulped as ii swallowing something.
God forgive me-" he said with CULVER
| Ing lips. Il didn't know that anything ou
Of heaven could look like that. and I'm
goin' back to my people down there wher
| We ought to know better, and I'm goin' Z
tell them we've got the greatest COVER
| ment on earth, and we've got to stan
| more taxes. If it's necessary, to keep
single hinge from fallin' off or a palm
from comm loose. Much obliged to you
goodbye" he concluded. I'm goin' righ
back home on that next train," and h
broke for the station.