The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-14
SENATOR'S DESKS.
Tennessee Wants to Get the One Mt
Which senator Harris Sat.

Washington Letter in Philadelphia Tele-
graph.
The State of Tennessee would like to have
the desk which was occupied by Senator
Harris for many years in the Senate. The
suggestion was made that it might be con-
qemned and sold SO that the State might
buy it, but this could not be done 1t is
frequent thing for such applications to
be made. There is always 4 demand for
the desks of men of distinction in the Sen
ate after their death, but there is no in
stance where the wish has been gratified.
The desks that were in the present Senate
chamber when it was first occupied are still
there. A number have been added as the
Senate has enlarged but none of the old
ones have been replaced.
Very determined efforts have been made
to get possession of the desks which were
occupied by Webster, Clay, Calhoun, and
Jefferson Davis. The efforts to get the
Davis desk ~'ere particularly persistent
Now the identity of all those desks is kept
a secret. to save them from being cut to
pieces by relic hunters. While there is a
record made so that the desks of any his
toric interest may be identified if desirable
there are but two or three individuals who
are informed on the subject, and, in fact
the records not having been written before
the war, If it had not been for the watch
fulness of the late Captain Bassett, who
was in the Senate from boyhood to tremb-
ling old age, their identity would not now
be known to any one. The interest in those
articles of furniture at the Capitol which
are identified with the great Statesmen of
the past dates since the war. Prior to that
thing to the value to the furniture and
trimmings of the halls of legislation. I'm
doubtedly many thing which would now
be highly priced have gone into junk and
been destroyed. Much of the old commit
tee room furniture has been scattered in
AS seats are vacated by retirement of
senator's, changes or position are made
from time to time by senators until they
get located just to suit them. But, though
the desks are alike, when a senator changes
his position on the floor of the Senate his
desk and chair are moved with him, so that
he occupies the same desk from the time
he enters the Senate until he retires While
no one has succeeded in getting one of the
desks out of the Senate chamber, one man
was permitted to take his chair on retiring
from the body.
When Hannibal Hamlin retired from the
vice presidency he asked to be permitted
to retain his chair. His request was not
laid before the Senate directly, as there
was no recognized form in which it could
he done but two or three committees
which. through controlling appropriations
or directing the disbursement of the con-
tngent expenses, might be regarded as
having jurisdiction in such matter. con-
sidered the request carefully and cOncurred
in the agreement that he might have the
chair This action excited a good deal of
criticism among senators, who held that
it made q bad precedent, 1t being proper
that the desks and chairs in the Senate
should remain, thelr associations AIDING 10
their history value which should accrue to
the Interest of the building and its sur
roundings. Consequently there was an un-
repeated. 1t is not known to any except
the man who has charge of the records,
who before him occupied the desk just left
vacant by Senator Harris, but 1t is said
TO have been the desk of one of the very
distinguished statesmen of a former gen
Grafton. If il were the Calhoun desk that
might account for Mr.. HarTis's rondness
for it. For the past twenty years, how
ever, the desk was occupied by the senator
from Tennessee, and It is for this associa
ton only that it is coveted by the State
of Tennessee.
Much more value is attached to things
about the Senate than to those about the
House of Representatives.. The desks in the
House are not handsome, nor have any of
them ever acquired any individuality. The
drawing of seats at the beginning Of each
Congress destroys the association which
would come from man of long service
continuously occupying the same seat for
many years. on the Senate side the furni-
ture is better and the associations are
stronger.
Eighteen or twenty years ago there were
some changes made in the side furniture
of the Senate chamber and in the Hobbies,
and some unnecessary furniture was moved
out. Among other things were some odd
shaped three-cornered chairs and some
other things formerly handsome, but then