The morning news., 1897-05-20
THE CAVE OF Discomfort.
where Statesmen of the Lower House
Sometimes Give Vent to Their
Feelings.
From The washington Star.


From the Washington star
The cloak rooms of the House of Repre-
sentauves are come to he known as the
cave of discomfort" Their atmosphere
has a strange influence over statesmen. A
complete change comes over members OF
the House when they pass through the
arched doors and disappear from the
hall. A sort of intoxication seems to take
possession Of them. Things that they
agree to on the floor OF the House. or
which they permit TO pass i'm silence, ex-
cite their most intense antagonism. Men
OF docile disposition become defiant, and
timid men brave. Many of them talk
brave like prize fighters in training. The
most daring propositions are made. They
even enter into conspiracies to overturn
all constituted authority and to legislate
without limit. Party ties become loose
obligations to party are forgotten, and
every man becomes a leader along some
line. The strongest and most extreme
ideas are freely expressed and freely
applauded, until 1t seems as II they would
do and dare anything.
When they get up, one by one, and pass
into the hall of the House again, it seems
as If something startling were bound TO
happen. But each man instantly becomes
himself again on entering into the open
sudden and complete as that which comes
over him on entering the cloak room. A
cloud, perhaps, may rest on his brow for
a moment after emerging from the cave
OF discomfort, but the defiant attitude
melts rapidly away, and is succeeded by
a restless sort of indecislon, and then. as
he settles into his seat, a calm doclity
comes over him and the spell is broken
This influence is so generally felt that 1t
Is universally commented upon, and some
of inquiring mind have made inVestiga-
tons and experiments to determine the
cause of the strange phenomenon. Some
who have travelled in the south of France,
or have read much of the French people
speak of this mysterious cave of discomfort
as Gascony on account of the bravado
there is born there. These cloak rooms
have no window or other outlet to the
open air. The daylight comes to them
dimly from distance. They are located
Immediately under the public gallery, lust
off that part of the hall most remote from
the speakers desk. where presdes author
ity. The half arch of the ceiling supports
the sloping tier of seats where the great
public sit crowded together without re-
spect to race, color or previous condition.
Two arched doorways on either side of
the main entrance to the hall of the House
open into the cave" and between these
doorways and the seats occupied by repre-
sentatives assembled TO legislate are cloth
screens hung on brass rods. Thick stone
and brick walls partition the "cave" from
the hall. Behind these walls the seclusion
and the spirit that dwels there plays
pranks with the peaceful and strikes dis
cordant strains to shatter harmony. The
eye of the speaker, which ranges over the
entire chamber, cannot penetrate these
walls Except. perhaps, to count a quo
RUM, and its influence is unfelt by those
within.
Sometimes proclamation comes forth
from the cave of discomfort, breathing de-
fiance and threatening catastrophe, but its
authors do not recognize 1t when they see
1t in the open daylight, and it becomes a
waif for whom no man Is responsible
There is said to be but one man whose
presence In the cave of discomfort breaks
the mysterious charm and dispels illu-
sions. This is Mr.. Reed. When, once in
great while. he enters this enchanted
region, the mutterings become mild, and
the mischicvous spirit of discomfort combs
her hair quietly in a corner.
No harm ever comes to the House or to
its members through the existence Of the
cave of discomfort. It's influence never ex-
tends beyond its portals. The atmosphere
there seems to draw out and absorb all the
bile and ill-feeling, and when members
come out they seem to leave their discon-
tent and their belligerency behind them.