The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-04
Ne Features 10 Make Openins Day Memsr-
senator Davis Death Net Announced In.
al Late In the Afterneeu, Amer the Read
lug Of the Presidents Message senator
Hanna the sls.t Conspicuous Figure.

SENATE aulO0rned But apart from TINS,
| there was no outward indication Of SEN
ator Davis demise. His desk was not
drsped.
This is a busy world. There are only
about eighty working days TO the session,
and the programme OF business Is q
! lengthy one Therefore. not even one day
| could be wasted In the empty tribute OF
respect Of an adjournment Immediately
after assembling. For this reason the
original programme Of postponing the
sending OF the Presidents message until
to-day was abandoned. Indeed. the Sen
| ate got right down to work, just as IL
recess Of six months or more had not in
! tervened. The only differences between
| the first day Of the session and any other
day We're that the greetings were much
| more cordial than usual. most OF the sena-
tors appeared In what the fashion journals
describe as full afternoon costume, and
''Lonnie" Stewart, the chief OF the pages,
were Prince Albert coat. a white vest.
and light trousers. Otherwise, there was
no visible sign Of the eventful day. The
doorKeepers were all at their accustomed
places. the corridors were filled with the
| familiar figures who appear at every ses-
sion or Congress, and the weather man
| dispensed more or less accurate informa-
| ton from bis place near the weather map.
Taken altogether, the opening of Congress,
| so far as the Senate was concerned, was
| as featureless as the Presidents mes
| sage.
The Crowd nd the Flowers.
Two exceptions ought to be noted. The
crowd and the floral tributes were phe-
| nomenal The galleries were filed for an
hour and a half before President pro TEN.
| Frye raped the Senate 10 order at the
| hour Of noon. Most Of the visitors wore
badges showing their connection with the
Women's Christian Temperance Union.
They were strangers In the city, to whom
( any session of Congress, whether ii be
the first day or any other day. was some
thing of a novelty. IL was noticeable that
they did not regard the prayer Of the
| chaplain as a perfunctory invocation,
but reverently closed their eyes.
Never before in the history of an OPEN
| ing day were the floral tributes so pro-
| fuse or so handsome. Looking down
| from the gallery. the tops of the desks of
| the Senators resembled huge flower
garden, brilliant with all the hues of the
rainbow, from the violet to red earna-
ton. To specify all who received baskets
| and bouquets would be to print list Of
| the Senate. Nobody was overlooked, from
Senator Hanna, the victorious leader of
his party. to Senator Jones. of Arkansas,
who was the chairman Of the losing side.
| Senator Hannas chief tribute WAS an
| enormous tree OF American Beauty roses.
which ohscured everything within ten
| feet of its wide-spreading branches, while
| Senator Jones' desk was heaped high
with all kinds of fragrant blossoms Sen
/ WoaffS HtrsafnnffUa form w hidden
be hind a towering mass of floral beauty.
so massive that 1t required the services OF
| two able-bodied pages to carry ii in from
| the lobby The chrysanthemum seemed
! 10 be the favorIte medium of expressing
regard, and some of the flowers were OF
gigantic size. Senator Carter, of Mon
| tana, who is entering upon his final three
months service, received a huge basket
| OF these blossoms, TO which was attached
large printed card with these words:
From his friends in Montana" Even
Senator wellington, whose desertion from
the Republican party is still a topic Of
conversation, was not neglected. The
gift sent to him was yellow.
| An Hour of Cordial Greeting.
The hour between II o'clock and noon
was like an afternoon tea-exeept that la
| dies were absent. Many Of the Senators
had not met each other since they parted
last June, and their handshakes and
storytelling gave animation to the scene
| Senator Hanna was, OF course, the OBJ
served of all observers. He Is decidedly
! the chief figure In the Senate. His power
demonstrated by a second victorious cam
paigr,, Is respected, and his place as the
leader Of the Republican party is accord
ed him on every hand All the Republi-
can Senator's, therefore, fastened to
| shake hands with Hanna. He received their
| evidences Of devotion and loyalty with
! smiling face. When Senator Jones, his
opponent in the campaign, came over to
greet him. both Senator's laughed heart
| lily. There was evidently no trace OF bit
| terness in their meeting.
Senator Depew was early In his seat,
but could not, Of course, remain isolated
long. He loves company too we'll. and
was soon the center OF a group of laugh
ing Senators over In a corner cloakroom
door. Senator Proctor escorted his new
colleague, William Paul Dillingham;, a
dignifed-looking gentleman, who seemed
fully conscious OF his new duties. and
posed with his right hand hidden in the
folds OF his Prince A.5ert coat. Senator
! Wolcott, who has also Joined the ranks
| of the defeated, was as breezy and hearty
| as usual. and his gay laugh betokened no
| Observation-Disclosures. Senator Morgan.
who is soon TO begin his ifth consecutive
| term, and who was recently honored by
| receiving the votes Of every member of
the Alabama legislature was the recipi-
ent of many congratulations, and so was
Senator Mcmillan, who is soon to be re
elected and who is an especial fayorite in
| the Senate. Senator Piatt, of New York,
moved quietly in the throng clad In SOM
ber black, and not at all conspicuous.
Senator Vests desk was constantly sur
rounded by Senator'S who shook hands
| with him, and expressed their pleasure
al his improved appearance But why
| enumerate all the Senators who were thus
| 10 be seen upon the noOr All Of them
are more or less famous. and all Of them
| are interesting individuals. II is worth
! while 20 mention only two-Senator Doll
liver, sho takes the place Of the late SEN
ator Gear, and looked too serious for
/ anything, and Senator Wellington. who
sat In Loneliness over In one corner, and
held converse with his private secretary.
Routine Business Transacted.
The Senate was called 10 order. the
chaplain prayed in deep and musical
tones. the clerk called the roll. and then
Senator'S Hoar and Plstt. OF Connecticut,
offered the usual routine motions 10 in
form the House that the Senate aad as
sembled with a quorum, and the Presi-
dent that Congress was ready ID receive
any message he might have TO com-uni-
cate. Senators HOar ana Cockrei were
appointed a committee 10 wait npon the
President. and then Senator-elect billing
ham, leaning upon the arm OF senator
Proctor. walked solemnly down the aisle
and subscribed TO the oath OF office. SEN
ator DollIyer wes not sworn IN. his Gre
deniials being withheld until the 6fielal
announcement Of Senator Gears death.
After recess Of nearly Two hours SEN
ators Hoar and Cookreli returned. and
the former announced that the COMMITTEES
had called upon the President. had listen
ed to him express his pleasure that Con-
gress was once more IN session. and had
been informed that a message would be
sent forthwith. Even while Senator Hosf
uttered these words Secretary Pruden had
been peeking In through the eatranee