The times., 1898-12-05
TARDY ONES WELCOMED
The Last of the legislators
Arrive in Town.
CAMPAIGNING IN LOBBIES
Elections Discussed by Friends
From the states-POIiticaI Gossips
Not Subdued by Fierce Weather.
The Assembling of Congress-The
same Old scenes to BE Enacted
Ag=in.

The last of the legislators arrived yes
terday and scurried to their homes and
temporary stopping places with more
haste than dignity. which in no single
case was due to an underestimate on the
part of the legislator of his own import
ance, or lack of appreciation of the
benefits of staid manners, but when one
faces such rain and such wind as swept
the streets of the national capital yester--
day one forgets to think about dignity
until one is home and dried out.
Today the Capitol building will resound
with congratulations; the corridors will
echo the reprimands of the custodlans ut
tered against those who are found suiok-
ing. wandering into forbidden doorways
or pressing too urgently for Ambulance
to the private galleries. Away in the dis
tance of the further ends of the halls
the sound of the gavel will punctuate the
general hum of activity, and the old
building itself will diffuse that mingled
odor of cookery, cosmopolitan life and
hustle for which il has been Iikened TO a
huge railroad station with dining room
equipments.
The assembling of Congress is ever con-
sidered an occasion worthy the patron
age of the multitude, and since this is the
last session of a famous war Congress
vast crowds are expected to present them
selves today and go through the usual
formulas of disgust, chagrin and tax
paying indignation at not being able to
get into the galleries, which the guard
saws have been crowded since o'clock;
or, inside the gallery, at not having Sc
cured front seat, where the man with
the paper and offensive personality
might have been avoided.
But for Congress to assemble without
all this would not only be unusual out
regarded with apprehension by the door
keepers, who claim the ability TO tell IN
the signs displayed by the passing public
whether a session is going TO figure PROM
inently in history and achieve the right
to be honored of man, or turn out to be
just an ordinary session, with brevity its
only redeeming feature.
There will be some picturesque meet
ings and incidents on the floor of both
houses of Congress today. The lesser
lights who are ambitious and who have
been successful in the elections will re-
gard with mingled awe and elation the
greater lights who have fallen victims
ing, for all time or for a period.
There will be congratulations. express
sions of sympathy; the last less accepta-
b.. -hpt the first, ard +har" &c likely ~
be "A dramatic eiemen. .Ee Hi inH
since the last few months have ia
enemies OF friends and ig..als ol en-
mics, and csu fUsiOn is t-l= -.Trr =.
Tire scenes around h5lei aabas ias'
night aa= such as IS never ir Nfs1'
il4rul except upon the lwu OF --5-a
aUd night before Congress assemble t1i
new session. The IL rals arrived
z-aUesmau were welcomed Wlll q d-ptA
II ~ --eC- WAi-. recon E-H5e4 thou
somewhat iur the neon, S..-G---- gt tn-ti
search after it; meaning their trips tc
this and that hotel to find this or that
delegation. Those who came a week aGt
were as anxious to know how things were
getting on up State as though they haC
been away for several years.
How much was your majority? You ha'
a close fight for it, did You not? Well, s.
did we. Aspirant Jones said he woul'
throw $780, 600 into the campaign TO win
but we beat him out. We did not hea
from you. 1 telegraphed that l was al
right that same night. 1 knew that ha'
been elected, although the count was sew
eral thousand against me at first. And =
on and forth, and back again over tn
same ground with new friends, these poll
ticians discussed their doings, and it wa
not to be expected that they would stan
in the middle of the lobbies or sit in tn
stufiness of their rooms to talk over thes
things when there are big, airy room
with mirrors and nice chairs and men il
white uniforms who are so anxious t
please you.
And so the last evening before the as
sembling of a new session of Congress
wore away and ended, as even hundreds q
others have worn away and ended, an
today or tomorrow these same kindre
spirits may say hard things about tn
gentleman from such and such a State
not meaning a word of il all the time. be
cause again they Will congregate in tn
same lobbies and nice rooms hereinbefor
described to laugh at il all.
The interviewers Were busy yesterday
and men of Congress of different poIitics
persuasion and of varying Importance i
this or that particular circle of legfslatio
were asked to declare themselves on tn
many questions which are now urgin
themselves upon the public.