New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-06


that the President would send a Message. and
the Message followed a few minutes Its
reading was the usual elocutionary horror. and
few listeners sat through IL. Fortunately.
prlnted copies were distributed beforehand
among Senator'S and others who were anxious
to master the recommendations OF the Presi-
dent Tomorrow the Senate will begin its ser-
Gus work.
SCENES IN THE HOUSE.
The Message read to a comparatively
thin House nearly one hundred members being
absent. but the reading was listened TO with un
usual interest by those present. as well as by
the immense throng in the galleries. The scene
in the House in the half hour before noon was
an animated one and in one two respects an
unusual one OF course these things were not
clearly apparent to the crowds who looked down
on the chief actors in a somewhat sensational
performance which may take the boards any
time
Mr. Bailey the accredited leader Of the
minority. was elrly in his seat, handsome and
audacous as ever apoarently-but only ap-
neutrality-suspicious. OF the fact that hi7 title to
the leadership was seriously questioned by r1em-
bers of his party He was pretty busy re-
ceving the congratulations Of his party friends
and followers. They were not so numerous as
they might have been. and he could afford TO be
effusive. II is strange. but one gray and griz-
zled Democratic member Of the House-a man
who was fighting the battles OF his party before
Mr. Bailey had arrived at the dignity of trou-
sers-decare3 that the youthful Southerner Is
not only too young to be a leader or the
minority but Is also lone survivor Of the
.slaveocracy OF the South who drove the Demo-
cratic party on the rocks a generation ago.
But. looking down from the gallery, Mr.. Bailey
does not in the least resemble the pictures
formed in ones mind OF Toombs, or Yancey. or
Rhett on the contrary. he appears as mild
and placid as the ascetlc Dingley, with whom
he exchanges cordial handshakes and good
wishes Mr. Dngley is extremely popular. in
way on the Democratic side. where he is re-
garded somewhat as "Yarkee schoolmaster.
He is affable. and bestows his greetings alike
on the just and the unjust. Y is no small
achievement for a man in the House of Repre-
sentatives to make himself an authority to be
universally respected and even BY the most
reckless Of partisan opponents. feared as well
in the shor; space OF twenty years
But the stage is becoming crowded. despite
the absence Of such star performers as J. Hamil-
ton Lewis and Jerry Simpson, who may have
gone to Join Coin" Harvey and become silent
trlbutions enterprise.
VETERAN MEMBERS N EVIDENCE
On this side are Crosvenor and Payne. the
frosted heads OF both Of whom belle their years,
and Cannon. older than either. who would scorn
t. sport a white poll while he looks and feels as
young as he does now after nearly quarter Of
a centurys service in tn House. and Walker,
Of Massachusetts,. chairman OF the Committee
on Banking and Currency, whom everybody will
miss in the next Congress, and scores Of others
VINO we'll deserve mention on an occasion Ike
this. Among them ought to appear the ruddy
face Of the Governor-elect Of Pennsylvania II
only as a foil to The rubicund- eounrenance of
the Governor elect of Texas. his colleague on
the Appropriations Committee whose retirement
from Congress Will be universally regretted The
Democrats have lost the next House-or have
failed to win it-but from among them have
been chosen two successful candidates for Gov
ernor to one from the Republican side. The
second is the well-groomed man with sparse
wisps of sandy hair carefully arranged over his
dome OF thought He IS McNillin. who will be
inaugurated Governor of Tennessee next month,
unless he is previously deyoured by Mr. Bailey.
These two men, both members Of the same
party and Of the same committees in the House,
do not seem to be in sympathetic mood or COM
munication to-day. In fact they glare at each
other in an unfriendly fashion, and the we'll
meant efforts Of General Wheeler TO bring them
together appear 10 be in vain. As for Mr.
Wheeler. it must be gratifying TO him in one
respect TO find that his most cordial greetings
from the veterans Of the Union, against
whom he fought in the Civil War. He came in
and took his old seat modestly Grant or
Sherman would have done and though it
had not fallen to his lot to help make history
in defence OF his country since last spring.
And there were others. For example there
was William Suzer. Of New-York. who has re-
solved himself into big Interrogation point.
Only few months ago he going TO lead
regiment OF Tammany braves ito free Cuba
from the despot's clutch" but other, and per-
haps prior, engagements prevented and he re-
mains 10 ask questions about the conduct Of tho
war; and be a sweet boon TO humanity And
there was l.. Irving Handy. Of Delaware. and
others who have wanted more OF the time OF the
House in the past than they will in the future
and-but II would be superfuous. not 10 say
cruel, to mention the other minority leaders
each Of whom has come 10 Washington deter
mined to pluck that peacock feather from
Bailey
THE HOUSE CALLED TO ORDER.
As the hour of noon approaches the din on the
foor grows louder. but when the hands OF the
clock point 10 II there is a ripple of applause
followed by deep silence as the gavel rails
and the Speaker says, The House Will be in
order" The House was in order and every
member rose 10 his feet. most Of them with
bowed heads. to hear the Chaplains prayer
At the conclusion of the prayer the speaker
announced that the first business in order would
be call OF the roll 10 determine the presence OF
a quorum. The rollcall developed the presence
OF 267 members. 179 being quorum Three
new members sworn in. Mr.. Grosvenor, OF
Ohio presented Charles Dick. elected TO I'LL the
vacancy caused by the death OF MI North
way; Mr. Allen. of Mississippi. presented Thomas