The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-11-04
BY KATE BRowNLEE SHERWOOD.


it0l. Only members or privileged visitors
are admitted to the floor Of the House, and
doorkeepers on duty are careful to admit none
who have not the rights of the floor.
The House of Representatives during the
Speakership of James G.. Blaine was a nOta-
BILE body and Mr.. Blaine was in all respects,
the ideal Speaker. His uniform fairness and
courtesy during that exciting period won for
him unanimous and complimentary vote of
thanks from his associates of both parties
Those were the days when the ex-Conied-
crates were coming back to their seats, and
colored contigent from the South was on the
Republican side but the era of good will was
even then dawning, for Alexander II. Steph
ems, Vice President of the defunct so-called
Southern Confederacy, thin, wan, and SILVER
ing like an aspen, as he was wheeled IN, III
his invalid chair, was invited to occupy a
comfortable front seat of his own choosing.
There was Gen. Butler. the hero OF New Or
leans there was the square-headed Horace
MAYNARD, Of Tennessee, and the blonde, good
natured farmer-GOilng athlete from Ohio,
afterwards the martyIed President, James A.
Garfield
The question of finance troubled our Ma
| tional Legislators quite as much then as now,
with those giants in the Senate, John A.
Logan and Oliver =. Norton to rally their
! lieutenants in the House to the support of
! the people versus the money power
Gen. Grant favored the annexation of San
| Domingo, and a powerful minority was press
| ing upon the United States the Importance Of
| recognizing the belligerent rights of Cuba, in
rebellion then az now, against Spanish oppres-
sion. 1t was then that Stephens, of Georgia,
| famed up in powerful speech. in which he
claimed that the United States had played
the part of policeman long enough for Spain.
His speech was just long enough to exhibit
| the triumph of mind over matter in way
few will forget
At that time the United States was paying
out one hundred and twenty millions OF gold
annually, the excess of imports over exports,
of which fiity-four millions went to Cuba
alone for sugar, coffee and tobacco, to be
taken up in taxes for the benefit of Spain.
Most of those who were at the front in
National legislation have gone the way OF
their predecessors but the currency question
and Cuba are perennial issues over which
Congress must contend until Justice and
equity have established their supremacy.
The hall Of the House Of Representatives,
like that Of the Senate is n stately chamber
| lighted from the roof with galleries all
around. capable of seating over 900 persons.
II is larger than the Senate Chamber, and has
a greater seating capacity. 1t is $50 feet in
length by % feet in width, though the floor
| of the House where the members of Con
| grcss are seated, is but - by 81 feet III size.
/ The ceiling is a framework of iron, brOnzed
AMI gilded. with thej coats of arms Of the
1 states painted u)0n.the class with which it is
! inad, aud which lights the building in day
time.
! Against the southern wall is the desk of
the Speaker Of the iouse, and just below
/ him are marble desks occupied by clerks and
Official reporters. The Sergeant-at-A Arms,
/ the exponent Of civil rule is near the
| Speaker, armed with the mace, or symbol OF
authority. This rests on "a marble pedestal
near the Speaker, at his command. His duty
is to keep order, and TO this end he may call
in the Capitol police to compel order by
physical force if necessary.
The mace is bundle of rods fastened
together with bands Of silver, like the Roman
emblem OF authority, and on its top is q
silver globe surmounted by silver eagle.
When placed on the pedestal it signifies that
the House is in session, subject to the Speak
er's authority. When the Scrgeant-at-Arms
executes the Speakers commands he bears
the mace in his hands.
The House OF Representatives. has long
been known as the 8 Bear Garden" because
Of the stormy scenes enacted there, especi-
ally during the war period and the exciting
DAYS that followed it, but in this day the
House Of Representatives is comparatively
mild body. Even the sleepy old Senate, "
as that venerable body has been called, often
outdOeS the House in belligerent interest,
especially when rillman, of South Carolina,
yields . the pitchfork. "
II is an interesting scene when Il division
of the House is asked for, which means the
passage of the opposing forces between the
tellers which is one method of voting. In
this miniature dress parade one can get a
much better idea OF the measure Of the man
and his bearing in a public body, than can
be done when they are all croucEing down in
their seats buried in their correspondence or
reading newspapers, as is frequently the case,
even while debates are IN progress.
The Communications OF the House of Repre-
sentatves are not many, the prevailing deco
rations being in white and gold. At the
right of the Speakers chair is Il full-length
portrait of Washington as President, ordered
bv Congress to commemorate the hundredtt
anniversary of Wasiiington's birth, and placed
in its present position in 1884.
On the left is a portrait of Lafayette, by
the. famous artist, AIRY Scheffer. To the right
Of Washington'S portrait Is one OF Albert
Bierstadt's celebrated paintings of Rocky
Mountain scenery . Kings River Canyon, y
while in the corresponding panel, on the
LAFAYETTE side, is The Discovery of the
Hudson by the same artist
These pictures were purchased by Congress:
Mt a cost of SO 600 each. There is a fresc'
by Brumidi, which represents Washington
treating with CORVALLIS for the surrender o
: his army at Yorktown.
The corridors surrounding the House arr
wainsc0tted with marble, the ceilings deco
rated and the floors paved with tiles. I'm
posing stairways east and west, with balus
trades of Tennessee marble, connect with tn
. corridors above, and the connecting walls ar
frescoed or hung with paintings.
: There is an elaborate composition entitled
{ Westward ilo, - showing the migration G
: the pioneers. the action in the figures ben
its chief value as afomposltion. There ar
!, portraits of Daniel Boone in the composition
also of Col William Clark, pioneer suryeyo
of the great West, who opened up the Obi
q Valley to civilization. ''No pent-up Ute
is contracts your poyf9ts," is a part OF couple
is with which the frescd is blazoned. The stat
|. WAYS leading to the basement are interestin
l. specimens of art i'll metal, the ratings BEN
e. OF bronze and beautifully wrought.
2. Across the corridor from the entrance to I'll
1t House of Representatives is the House Lobby
Y, sometimes termed the Second House.
Il