The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-09-21
MISCELLANY.
The House From Above.
AS the mountains are around ali

AS INC MOUNTAINS are bTOuuu huOuI
Jerusalem, so are the galleries around
the Hall of Representatives at Wash
ington. Here, however, the similitude
ceases; there is nothing cherishing or
protecting about this overhanging cor
don of spectators in that great oblong
box of a room. Rather does it seem to
the members below as constituting a
mammoth eye, the eye of the public,
alert and never sleeping.
The gallery in its entirety is COM
prehensive, including all sorts and con-
ditons of men--and also of women.
There are seats for the general male
public, the doors TO which are marked
"Gentlemen." This same spirit of
optimism designates other seats for
Ladies'" Then there is the men,
bers' gallery, reserved for the families
of Congressman, and the executive
and diplomatic galleries, sacred TO high
officials, domestic and foreign. More
truly representative than all the others
is the private gallery, admittance to
which is through cards from members,
and it partakes delightfully."- OF the ma
ture of privilege especially to tourists
from afar who are all wound up to be
impressed. Lastly, there is the press
gallery.
The common galleries of the House
are as peanutty as those of the Old
Bowery. They also WOO the tramp to
sweet sleep, like the seats in City Hall
park on sunshiny day. There can
not be anything symbolic about the
diplomatic gallery; it is usually empty.
Sometimes a sallow, foreign-looking
little boy will break, for the moment,
the continuity of the fat doorkeeper's
dream. Sometimes a bevy of gaily
dressed Cinnamon will give a tea-chest-
cover touch to the scene. But in gen.
eral the diplomats keep away; popular
government is so incomprehensible to
them that they dread to make it more
SO. When they do come, they look as
though they wished they hadn't. Per-
haps, however, this aspect is merely
the hauteur of station.
Nor is the executive gallery, immedi-
ately adjoining in much greater favor
with those entitled TO its seclusion.
The trouble is that this seclusion is
more apparent than real. While the
fair women who sometimes come and
nibble bonbons are removed from vul-
gar touch, the notice which they at
tract must be overwhelming. The Or
der "eyes light" never meets with
more complete obedience, and the in
curing hum of "Who is she?" is fol-
lowed by the answering hum Of misin-
formation. These two galleries, then,
are attributes of power, like the place
every ready at the head of the table for
the absent master.
The members gallery is too personal
to Congress to have much individual
ity Its main characteristic is a pleased
smile. Here come the good wife, and
Johnny from school and Miss Mary,
Just out this winter, TO shear pa speak"
And if they are the only ones who
really do take full advantage of this
high privilege, their satisfaction is just
by jest and laughter about him, and
mortified by seeing the leader whom
he had hoped to impress engrossed in
reading the Congressional Record, of
all things, has regained pluck and en-
durance through the sympathy of bright
eyes, even as doughty knights in q
tourney were wont to recover from a
resounding whack through the same in.
epiration. Utilitarians may claim that
on his very account the members gal
lery should be closed, since it encour.
ages the output of Congressional elo
auence; but then it should be remem'
bered that while members talk they are
doing nothing worse. Sometimes tragic
scenes have resulted from this cOnjunc
ton of Joan in the gallery and Darby
ON the floor. Last spring, in the heigh
of the riot attending the adoption Of
the Cuban resolutions, tall, dignitiet
lady rushed through the corridors in {
state of distraction pitiable to behold
for it was at her husbands head tina
the file of documents had been thrown
And gossips around the Capitol still tel
how, years ago, when Southern Sen
ator was forced, struggling and shrek
ing, off the floor of the Senate, hi
poor wife, who had gone there in al
the flush Of pride and hope, was born,
senseless from her seat in the gallery.
The private gallery is by far the mos
comprehensive in its interests. Ever.
visitor at Washington has member t.
call upon; even the Indian from Okla
homa has his delegate, and every con
gresham is only too happy to oblige
constituent with gallery ticket; henc
here may be found gathering purel
national. The occupants, too, com
not TO rest, TO criticise, or TO be admin
ed; their purpose is to see and to hea
the whole show. There is perpetus
craning of necks, continual pointin
of hands, while the heated air rises lik
huge interrogation point.
In what. then, are the visitors mos
interestedp The speaker, first and fore
most. He is 30 easily recognized fC
one thing; he is such clever caricf
ture of his pictures, for another. The
he is 80 big, and so deliberate in b
: movements; and that drawl one he
: heard 30 much about is 30 droll. Prt
, fessional humorists have only to marc
! out upon the stage and stand silent an
: still, and their audience will shire
with laughter. Mr.. Reed has much tn
same influence upon his admirers frol
near and far.
Then there is the Speakers clerl
whose post is by the desk, who is {
expert in parliamentary law that Oh
, looks at his fingers ends in the vel
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