The San Francisco call., 1897-07-12
ATTIRE AT "A SENATE FUNERAL.
Unbecom ng Official AQpeargnce, and a
Variety OF Costume and Color
R.va'mg Joseph's Coat

WASHINGTON, d. c., July 1.-THE
marked absence of dignity in the ceremo-
nies of yesterdays funeral of state' in
the Senate chamb ber has increased the SEN
timent in favor of abolishing services OF
the kind. The rows of empty shop chairs.
sandwiched between the mahogany seats
of the Senators. for the House OF Repre-
sentatives, which was represented ty
fewer tnan 100 mem bcrs, struggling in
rithout their sp aker, and prominent
men OF both sides conspicuous by their
absence, handful of Senators clad in
negligee summer clothing, Ministers of
foreign countries, com prising those from
Mexico, Argentine, HAWAII, China, Corea,
with one Corean and one Chinese attache,
all under the escort of the chief clerk of
the State Department, represented the
official attendance. The pews of the dip
iomatic and executive galleries were en-
tirely vacant and both galleries were
crowded to the doors with ever-present
Washington sight-seers, chatting gaily
and clad in all the colors of the rain bow.
This was the picture that confronted the
chapIains as they arose to conduct the
funeral services of the Episcopal church.
The President and five memb-rs of mis-
Cabinet it Is true, occupied Dig leather
chairs in the review circle before the pre-
siding officer, but 1t cannot be said truth
fully that they added greatly to the dig
nifty of the occasion. They were, unfortu-
naiely, in measure the victims OF Cir
cumstances. In one respect at least how
ever, the fault was their own. President
Mckinley conducted himself with the ca y
dignity characteristic OF his publ appear
ance He dressed for the occasion. which
was not the case with the Cabinet officers,
with the single exception OF General Al
GER The President and the Secretary OF
War wore black frock coats, white vests,
black ties and silk hats, and looked what
they were, mourners of State. Sherman,
who sat by the President wore the familiar
suit of blue, and Secretary Gage appeared
in light, gray summer suit and carried a
straw hat and red gloves.
Secretary Wilson, clad in black as he al
ways is, wore, for lew moments only,
light-colored gloves. Attorney General
McKenna had on dark frock coat and
gray trousers, and Secretary Porter. who
constituted the escort of the Presidential
party, wore regular office suit of dark
cloth and placed q straw hat conspicu-
ously before him bn the floor. The Sena-
tors and representatives. offen led equally
in dress. Suits of tow, crash linen, silk,
seersucker and alpaca were much more
numerous than those Of wool, and
Joseph's fine coat could not have con-
tained more varieties of color than was
represented in the funeral garb OF the
statesmen.
Unlike the gallery crowds, who showed
unm istaka pie signs of being entertained.
Congressinen seemed to regard 1t all as
weary waste of time. They were eager to
be elsewhere. and their uneasiness was
not concealed Even the Senatorial pail
bearers, harnessed in broad, rosetted
sashes reaching to the floor, wore every
day business clothes. which pointedly
directed attention to the fact that the offi-
ciating House members were becomingly
attired in black. Representatives who
recognized the fitness of things in this re-
gard acted in striking contrast 10 their
colleagues as body. who herded into the
cham ber like sheep, intent on seeing and
getting seats on the ends of the rows SO
they could escape at the earliest oppo--
funity