Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1900-03-29

blood antagonist. There are those who dc
not claim the time of the session on the floor
but who are earnest and practical commit
teemeu and have certainly as much influence
in directing legislation as do those who are
the recognized debaters of the two bodies.
The presence of ladies is a marked feature
and probably one of some utility: it restraints
those who would throw decorum over the
transom, prevents all, save one, from smok-
ing (this may astonish you, dear reader, but
they do smoke in open session at times when
some member temporarily occupies the
Speakers chair.)
One Of the institutions Of the House that
should be labelled "aere persanium," is the
Reading Clerk; Mr.. Townsend is Cape
Nome in the wealth of his time saving hear
him on third reading: "Bill 'ntitl n'ac trepe
Sec-'steen, Chapt-. ni-r-.C opub-, loclaw An
trenac samith mend. so on.n-so on beenac
thsac slrlltfec fin date of its passage
Speaker-King, -.- - Yeas 81 nay 0; land
II Mr.. Speaker is engsged)-Bill having re.
ceived constitutional majority is declared
passed, ;" and he is reading another title before
you can shake of the vertigo occasioned by
his whirlwind of reading, roll call and an
nouncement. He ought to be made fixture
90 permanent as that Of the gas or electric
light. Mr.. Moss of the Senate is his anti
parallel, being sedate in his manner and orc.
tund IN his utterance.
There should be new socket provided for
the mace in the House, 80 that it might
stand erect; when the emblem of authority
gives evidence Of such decided leaning, the
member given to wandering from the strictly
plumb, might quote 1t as an example of un.
propped or improperly environed authority.
Difficult to ride though it was, the most
daringly ridden House hobby last week was
that spawned, poll-eviled specimen, homo.
rule Heavily handicapped by the prohib-
tive Weighing of recent precedent, it was
entered again and again, only to kick up a
dust in the start and be jeered at In the An
ish--neyer getting a place. Over In the
Senate it's different home rule there Is no
hobby; it's real, live thoroughbred; it's a
whole squadron and big dog under the com.
missarys wagon. They don't call 1t home
rule over there-they call il Senatorial Cour-
tesy and the way that that usage of doubtful
ways and questionable means grinds out
home QocaD legislation that the senator
wants and fatty and absolutely vetoes all
that he doesn't want; the opportunity that
t!gves the individual senator TO serve his
own personal interests ut home; the comDlai-
sance with which that body countenances
and lends its aid in the defeat of local meas
ures confessedly legitimate, being ofan exact
| like character TO as many as five already
passed by it--defeats it at the request Of the
senator, when he bases his demand for Its
defeat upon no broader nor more tenable
grounds than that it is against his personal
| interest at home-this s home with
rings on Its fingers and bells on its toes" and
that it makes music wherever 1t goes" the
writer is In position to affirm, he being one
of duet, the melody of which could be felt,
and almost seeh as well as heard. 1t was
howled-.a requiem over the remains of a
once hearty piece of legislation, late defunCt,
due to the sanding methods of senatorial
courtesy. Yale. Eheu! EheuV
From party standpoint, we find room
for criticism of both bodies The democratic
majority is sufficient In each, but each house
! lacks a leader in matters strictly political. 1t
! is true that few measures OF a partisan char.
acter have been brought forward, but that
| there has been an opportunity to make some
| political capital and, that, without trap set
by the minority, the majority has escaped
one or two dangerous political pitfalls, only
"by the skin of their teeth is true beyond
question. The trouble seems to be that they
have never been hilched up, hence member,
delegation or number OF members are
found playing poor politics. Naturally,
many readers will say: "They were not sent
there to play at politics That's co. they
were not, in the Utoplan political sense, but
In fact, every one OF you know that in the
practical political sense, they are politicians
and are expected to make political capital at
every opportunity, while they are ma king
| laws; to wink at, ignore or condemn that
proposition is the proper thing when you
are lecturing on political economy, but it
won't do when you are addressing a central
committee meeting and almost all Of you are
in the habit of doing that, hence this frank.
ness.
Our old friend, Dlnkenspel's "Jarlievlson"
is here and has been here during the session.
He is the attorney of certain interests, CON
corning which, for or against, legislation is
asked. He yields an influence, probably as
legitimate as any, and certainly more 80 than
many who assume a much more decidedly
"holier than thou" air.
1t is stated that high silk hat, a gold
belly band and grey mustache and imperial
are training to fill the shoes of Gene Higgins,
late lObbyorum imperdtor, but they tell us
here that the ghost of Nachiavelli does not
prompt imperious Jove to apportiOn to Anu
apolis more than one Gene Higgins per
generation-that it would prove to be too
severe draft uponMinerva's supply of wisdom
in the line of Iobbyesque diplomacy: this may
be pessimlsm; we find that that mental pos
sbility obtains here.
1t made the shade of Horace thrill to its
wing tips to hear Mr.. Robinson quote--"l
have reared monument more lasting than
brass" in his rhapsodc advocacy Of John
Eager Howard on Monday night: marvellous
coincidence-we had then already inscribed
"dero perennium" on the pedestal upon which
MIR. Townsend poses
About one tenth of the membership is now
giving expressions OF delight that the end is
so near: the other nine-tenths are reeretful:
just why the proportions are not reversed
constitutes the corundrum. They are a
hard worked lot and earn every cent of their
per diem of five dollars; a majority Of them
do as well at home and are masters. while
here they are slaves, yet many Of them will
come back, provided their managers and
constituents 80 elect.
The only stee-hooped trust in Annapolis
is the Amalgamated Association Of Sans
Couer Shoe Blacks in the matter of footwear
it's dime or DUST but they are artists.