Evening star., 1897-03-15
IN EXTRA SESSION
Congress Assemblies at the Call of the
President.
SENATE PROCEEDINGS MERELYROUTINE
House Organizes and Elects Mr..
Reed of Maine Speaker.
NATE PROCEEDINGS MERELY ROUTINE
THE MEMBERS SWORN IN

The main inteTes; IN the assembling of
| Congress centered at the House end OF the
Capitol. where the organization of the new
| House and the seat lottery We're the draw,
| ing cards. Great crowds were attracted TO
the galleries hours before noon But ths
| general public had small opportunity to
| view the proceedings. The section opposite
TIE Speakers rostrum. commonly known
as the black belt" which has a seating
| capacity of about BOO, given Gp to the
| pGblic- The other galleries were strictly
reserved for ticket holders The most
| Striking feature of the scene on the floor
| was the number of new faces. old familiar
| hgures conspicuous In the shcck of many
/ parliamentary battle had disappeared. and
| IN the new lists Mere new aud untrled
| khlghts. The change in the personnel was
| very great.
| By II o'clock the reserved galleries, with
| the exception of those reserved for the
diplomatic corps and the executive were
walled in ter on tier. Tho bright cos
the animated scene.
Below the members were greeting each
other. and the hall buzzed with the low
! babel of many voices \ basket of Amer
| lean beauty roses graCei IL" desk Of the
/ Speaker.
Familiar Faces Back.
Ia the great number Of new faces seen
| upon the floor of the House today there oc-
| casionally appeared familiar ones. Some
| We're remembranCes of Congresses of years
/ ago others served in more recent legis-
| iativc sessions
Mr.. Holman of Indiana, for many years
! conspicuous figure in Congress. and in the
| latter part of his term Familiarity known as
| ''Objector'' Holman and watch dog of the
| treasury comes hack to Congress. He in
| stinctively wandered into the room OF the
| committee on appropriations when he
| reached the Capitol this morning. Gnfor-
| tuna ately. however, his place of watch dog
| has been pre-empted. There is a regular
| bench show of them now There's Cannon
| of Illinois, the watehfulest dog In the ken
mel; Sayers Of Texas, who watches him;
| Dockery of Missouri. who keeps general
| ali-arUund lookout. and Pitney OF New Jer-
! sey, who is I'm training. Il is considered
| quite probable that Mr.. Holman Will be
! placed upon the appropriations committee,
| hut he Will have 10 take rear plat"
/ among the watch dogs. There are several
! vacancies on the appropriations committee
and there is already a scramble for them
| Bland of Missouri.
| Another well-rememhertd man who again
| resumed his place in the House WAS Rich
| ard L. Bland Of Missouri. lie founi his
old seat on the dem ocratic side and sank
into il as though he had but left il yester-
| day. The great silver leader has not
changed in appearance during the time
| that ne has been following the plow since
| he left Congress He says he feels a.
! young he ever did. and can chew as
| much tobacco as OF old.
| Just back of Mr. Bland, in character
| istic attitude, sat another Missourian,
| Champ Clark.
Jerry Simpson of Kansas comes back, and
| he found his old seat, too. today. They
say he has relinquished the title OF Sock
! less Jerry, which he wore when he was
| last in Congress. and that ne now wears
| socks. He promised his constituents, how
| ever, before leaving the wild ana woolly
wastes Of his populistic district that while
| he felt constrained 10 make This one con-
cession TO tEe conventtonalities Of the
| eftete east. and wear socks. he would draw
| the line at "swallow-tailed" coats, and
would never wear 'iress suit
There's the that beat Bill Nor
rison,' was the remark made about John
| Baker OF Illinois. He in Congress a
| few years ago. coming in a republican.
| to succeed William r. Morrison, and was
! long known as the advocate of a high tar
| ff. Things different. now. however.
| He haS turned complete double somer-
sauit out OF the republican party and was
elected by a fusion of free silver and the
other scattering forces of his district.
Another man who is good at turning po-
| ltical handsprings is William ]. Letz of The
twelfth Ohio district. He found a front
seat this morning, and sat in 1t, a big.
sn.ooth-faced, good-natured- looking fell
low. He used to be Cleveland gold dem
ocrat. and so considered up to shoit
time before the nominating convention
landed iii the free silver ranks.
Genial. Sood-natGred Mark Smith. dele
gate from Arizona, is back again. and re-
newed his old friendships in short or Ter
today. He is democrat and a free silver
man, but when he tries to pass a hill
authorizing his territory to issue bonds, he
always insists upon a clause making them
gold bonds.
one Colored Man Named White.
There was one colored man occupying a
seat on the floor. He was George H. White
of Tarboro', y. c, a brother-in-law of
Cheatha m, the colored man who formerly
held the seat. These two contest for the
nomination usually. and try between them
to keep ii in the family.
Buck Hinrfchsen.
One of the most striking figures in the
new House was William H. Hinrichsen Of
Illinois. They cali him Buck" Hinrichsen
out west. He is great, big fellow. jolly
sawyer but keen a brier in politics
Under his easygo.ng. good tured man.
he hides a capacity for political ma
neuverng that surprises his opponents.
He is a political diplomat of the first water
and with ii all a of ability.
Even a stranger could pick out the new
members OF the House from the old-timers.
They were conspicuous by the gravity and
solemnity of their manner. overcome by
the awe of the great position which they
had been called upon to ill. The old-tiiGer
knows that he is but man in :551 and
that the country does lie awake at
night thinking of him, he soon ceases
to feel the awe of his position. The new
men, too as a rule, affect the style OF
dress that i'm the popular mind seems to
be associated with a Statesman" White
lawn ties. ample expanse Of shirt front
and long black coats are the striking feat
ures of this style of dress.
Many Floral Tributes.
The floral display in connection with the
opening of the House was the most elabo-
rate of years. The flowers were not on
exhibition at first, however, being sent
into the lobby back of the Speakers desk.
until the members of the House should
choose their seats. The set pieces ard
floral testimonials of clubs and organiza-
tions, sent to their representatives, occu-
pied nearly one-half of the long lobby,
while the smaller offerings covered several
long tables. One of the most striking pieces
was a rose bush several feet high and as
many in circumference, containing "a score
or more of magnificent American beauties.
This was sent to Mr.. Loudenslager by some
of his New Jersey constituents. Mr.. James
Rankin Young and Mr.. McAleer of Penn
sylvania also received several large noral
pieces, while half a hundred others were