The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1897-10-28
THE NATIONS CAPITOL,
CARE OF THE GREAT BUILDING
OCCUPIED BY CONGRESS-.
Functions Of the Police and the
Guides.
Washington Star.

|
Washington Star.
The strictness with which the police
regulations of the Capitol are enforced
now calls attention to the great change
that has been brought about at the
Capitol during the past few years. The
Interest attached to this great building
renders it more than mere meeting
place for the national legislature. It is
the chief attraction at Washington to
all visitors. Nobody ever visits Wash
ington as tourist without spending
some time in the Capitol building, and
the presence of the two legislative
bodies in session Is scarcely the chief
attraction. While comparatively few
persons are In the galleries OF the
House and Senate from day to day, the
corridors and ante-rooms, the rotunda
and the statuary hall are nearly always
pretty we'll filled with people. About
a dozen guides make good living by
showing people around. Every picture,
every statue, however poorly executed
every column and almost every stone
and piece of plaster in the internal dec
oration is an object of interest. Even
the echoes that vibrate from the vault
ed ceilings seem to be an endless source
of curiosity and entertainment.
The result is that the public lose
sight OF the fact that the Capitol is pri-
marily business building, and that
work is being done there which it is
not always convenient to have inter-
rupted. Certain privacy that has to
be secured in parts of the building dur
ing business hours excites more Or less
resentment, but Congress would be
much slower in its work than it is if
the visiting public were allowed to
have their way.
Moreover, ii it we're not for the rigid
observance of police regulations the
building would be neither safe nor a
reputable place. Many thousand per-
sons are in the building nearly every
day there is a vast expanse of corri-
dors, running in many directions, with
sharp angles and secluded retreats. A
considerable army might be concealed
In the underground passageways along
the foundations, and even an explosion
might occur there without being heard
in the occupied portions of the build
ing, and in the hundreds of committee
rooms heaven knows what might be
going on. It is only of comparatively
recent years that gambling has been
broken up in the Capitol building.
II was largely on account of the
amount OF gambling and other disrep-
utable things that were going on In
the building, though the public knew
nothing Of it, that the police force was
reorganized few years ago and rigid
police patrol instituted. While gamb-
ling houses were strictly prohibited in
the city OF Washington and strict laws
were passed by Congress to destroy
them, many games for big stakes were
being PLAYED in the committee rooms
of Congress, not always by people who
had right to be IN the building and
not always the social congressional
poker parties, but serious games for the
money that was ii them.
Frequently carouses OF an extraordi-
nary character occurred in committee
rooms. All sorts OF characters haunt
ed the building. Strangers were liable
to be taken in by CROOKS pretending to
be official guides, and ladies were not
at all sure of being free from insult.
At one time it seemed as if the build
ing might get a reputation for evil
which would be disgrace to the capital
of the nation.
Now there is no building in the
country where greater order and pro-
priety is observed. Gam bling in the
committee rooms is thing OF the past.
When the building Is closed for the
day no one is permitted to remain in it
unless it Is made very clear that he is
required to do so to engage in work
which he is employed by the govern
ment to do. During the hours that
the building is open police are so sta
toned that there is no corridor or
corner of the interior OF the building
that some one of them does not over
look constantly.
No one is permitted to play the part
of a guide except the men who are