Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-12-07

Ol int AA00AC AS
Observation-Disclosures For seats-The
Crime of Leze MaJesty--The Repub-
Iican Currency scheme.
Especial Washington Letterl
lie roi est mort. ylve lie roir'
Thomas Bracket Reed has gone to
Join the great majority of speakers.
and David Bsenner Henderson wields
the gavel in his stead aud with it he
exercises powers second in Importance
only to those of the president himself;
for, mark you. vice president is not
in 1t for one moment with the speaker
of the house The vice president is
only a splendid figurehead Sly old
Ben Franklin. in the constitutional
convention. humorously proposed that
the vice president should be styled
his Superfuous highness." He can't
appoint his committees. He simply
presides and waits for dead mans
shoes and most generally waits In vain.
Only four of that tribe ever got what
they waited for John Tyler. Millard
Fillmore. Andrew Johnson and Chester
A. Arthur but the chance of being
president is TO the average statesman
well worth taking. for on the average
it is one out Of seven. But. bless your
soul. the speaker of the house is pow
er in the land. He appoints commit
tees. especially the committee on rules.
''The five ezars. so called of which he
is chief. is for all practical purposes
himself the committee on rules. there
by shaping and selecting legislation.
molding a mighty states DEGREES. To
this high estate has the canny. brawny,
big hearted Scot from Iowa come.
Monday. Dee L. 1899. is the red letter
day in the calendar of the house of
Henderson. No higher can he go. for
the constitution preeludes bis being
president because he was born beyond
the seas. so he will strive the harder to
win imperishable renown in the speak
er's chair by endeavoring to be the
best speaker in the food Of time.
| Organizing the House.
This is the way It was done: In the
house. newly garnished. painted and
carpeted. the galleries filed with the
beauty and the chivalry of the land.
Major Alexander Mcdowell of Penn
sylvania. by reason of being clerk Of
| the last house-he is clerk of this one
also-caIls the house to order and in
vites the blind chaplain, Rev. Mr.. Cou-
don. to offer prayer. which being done
| the roll is called. and Major Mcdowell
says, "A quorum being present. the
election of speaker is now in order. !"
whereupon General Henderson and
i others are placed in nomination. The
roll is called again. resulting, as every
1 body knew it would. in General Hen
/ derson's election. He is escorted to
the chair amid great applause and
hand clapping and delivers his inau-
gural before he is sworn in. Then he
/ takes the oath, after which be ad-
ministers it to the other members and
to the delegates Then the other off
GERS are elected in a bunch by a viva
| voce vote. Then committees are ap-
pointed to notify the president and
senate that 1.-The house isaorganized and
ready for business" Then the draw
| ing for seats takes place Then be-
gins the work of the long session"
of the Fifty-slxth congress. which in
all human proba bilIty is destined to
make great deal of history perhaps
make a president or two. who knows?
Drawing For Seats.
The house is a rectangle. the length
from east to west much exceeding the
breadth from north to south The
speakers stand is at the middle Of the
south wall. The members sit in semi
circular rows. In comfort the situation
of the members chair counts for much
and has something much-to do
with his prominence OF course good
position directly or nearly directly in
front of the speaker enables member
to catch the speakers eye" more cas-
lily than one in the wings. BY imme-
mortal usage the house is divided into
equal parts called the Democratic and
the Republican sides. by a wide aisle
running from the large doors to the foot
Ol 11S HkjtdAt-i , 1S -(CA4O-
Gratis sit to the speakers right. as they
ought to do. while the Republicans sit
upon his left. The modus operandi is
as follows: The clerk makes up the roll
as it is called alphabetically and num-
bers it from l to $50. both inclusive.
Three hundred and sixty balls num-
bered In the same way are placed in a
box. The members go outside the rail-
ing and await their luck in feverish
anxiety. A hlindfolded boy reaches in
to the box and draws out a bah. One
clerk looks at it and announces the
number. Another clerk announces the
name of the member with the same
number. and IN he walks and selects
the unoccupied seat that suits him
best. Generally. though not always.
the ex-speakers and the members. one
on each side. oldest in service are per
mitted TO choose seats without draw
ing This courtesy is also sometimes
extended TO one legged men or inya
lids. The overflow members-in this
case 13-from the majority sit on the
same side with the minority In the ex-
treme outer rows-of late years called
'the Cherokee strip.
Chapter From History.
That the house of representatives
sometimes acts in a most unseemly
manner in the closing days of the nine
teenth century must be confessed, but
that we behave worse than they did
In the early time utterly deny. In
fact, am free to maintain that the
world is growing better. the chronic
aud plaguy pessimIst to the contrary
Notwithstanding. The following ex.
cerpt from the history Of the mint
shows that our forefathers sometimes
got their dander mp to high pitch on
small provocation:
Previous to the coinage OF silver dol
lars al the Philadelphia mint in 1894
the following amusing Incidents occur
red In congress while the enabIems and
devices proposed for their ornamenta'
ton were being discussed;
A member Of the house from the
south bitterly opposed the choice Of
the eagle On 5ha grnund ae its. keina Re