The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-25

missioner ot psnsi"ns. had l.treated them. he
thought he was telling only the simple truth.
md when lo tounG M ne Wa Rhnnt ne as
mrnts. The Sceds had been sown, however.
, IN IL has not been easy. ana perhaps impos.
sible. to uprOot them.
ing tho good will and affection OF the Demo-
Gratis IN tho House even when he was giving
them his hnr!eSt blows. IIr would charge
ulon them front. lauk and rrnr and then IN NE
windup ui his nitark throw n ie, bouquets 80
gracefully ina. anger would quickly sunslln
the genial Ipwnr would bc seen over on th"
enemy side with h., arm around the peck 81
a Democratic lradur, thus masking I!nilc
amusement 'urthr Il ,or Hndthc call"r,r rs where
' harm was meant and that there had leon a
conn -tr restoration NJ the rnt"nt" cor ale.
The rOlllrkiug "amdr1iCr," O' TOT HruI'G-
sons nature wH- shown a irw years ago when
a Democratic CorEre-- that had been noted for
inrfi"irnry an unropulhitH came To- n r!lN'.
An imWl.~iSr ocrLi ant 81. the. press IN 'F
stepped 10 the front row of benches. wtyrl an
imaginary baton and cpmmen"ei to sing the
poXo.ogy. Instantly some, OF "a" memhors ON
tn" floor Joined IN, and Mr. Henderson,. step
ping in the area lu front Of the Speakers ru--
trunl converted his cane into n baton and BE-.
came thu Joint leader with the newsparer man
Of chorus that vas Joined in by everybody
upstairs and down. some members thought
the incident unsrrmly nnd beneath tho dignity
had g ps,l for good. But II Mr.. Henderson
ever had any regrets for his mart in the per-
iOrmance he has never oppressed then.
loS Mr If 5f' h. lrI!aw 'n nam has has"i also on fosnd ex.
preston IN his partially tor little dlnnors aud
card parties. an gatherings where the least OF
reason and the lpN OF soul were not ham perPl
by the coventioualities OF Official and, fashion
ubl" life. When he Was first talked OF as a
Speak"rNlip candidate much was san OF ms
musical procivlties and his love o. singing
Scotch songs He was much addicted To- this
form Of pmuarneut, IL j. true. hut IL must he
admitted even 10y his best friends that the chief
success ~ leading, a chorus in Hes Jolly
Good Fellow" or Aud Lana Syne.' but he was
never Known 10 draw tears 20 the eyes IT his
bearers with a rcnlering Of Annie Laurie or
bonnie Dundee Those songs are in Col.
henderson, repertoire. OF rclts, =, hut a. sung
by him they don't draw tears. The only oc-
casionS IN which he makes his au !itOrs cry ar"
| those when h' stands on the stump IN the
| Hawkeyr state amt r%onluvre M visions OF thu
glorious lays when h., and his soldier constit-
| ucnts fought. blci and lied Tor tho fax of the
tree Col Henderson ls. the sold cr's trinrd
$50 davs in the year, and his speeches in thu.
House Of Representatives on The subject Of
tensions and the general treatment ot the
veteran by the Government Hro but feeble
limitations Of the outllrsts which rouse his
marital constituents ia Iowa 10 the irrHor OF
patriotism anda crisis ot weeping. II" IL al.
wavS eloquent. but at times more than eloquent,
..ltkethe majority Of hi@ pred"cc>sor-. SIeaker
Henderson is { poor man, Not since, BlalnAs
time has Il speaker of the House Of Represen-
tativrs been "A social factor In III" life OF tho
capital leyond what has naturally grown out
! or MS merits rs an lU'lINllutI hdIllill llO'l Nv
money and lived in a little brick house IN an
/ obscure street of Capitol iltll., which would
rent for $40 month and where his neighborS
were Government clerks. CarliSl" was nearly
as poor whom Speaker as Rainfall and after
many years Of living In a second-rats hotel
nortgagcd AL he had TO buy = modest home
dined uut a good deal and wa thrown in
| with mon who control affairs at the
car,tal and alter moving mo his new
HON" Mrs, Carlisle" gave the, usual at
| homes" but at no time dil Carlisle take a
prominent social position becoming his Cccu-
pancy Of the Sp"akcr,- chair. Randall did NOT
60 out at all. CRISP lived at a downtown hotel
freQurntud largely hy SuuthrrncrS and had no
phrt In the social life ~ It." city beyond rartiri-
pattng IN 4emi.oriclal dinners AMI other lqnc-
lions. Rec! lived for nearly all Of his Con-
gresaional lie * two hotels. where he occupied
| rooms cOmfprtah but ANYTHING but "a pacinns
on a floor nearer to tn top than the bottom,
because " his brains. his wit and his
shining social qualities of many kinds. Mr
Reed was for the second ten years o. his life
as Erominent socially as b" was obscure
sought dinner guest and mi "a well as men
did homage TO his talents an admired his
charming personality, speaker Reeds wife
| it. comforting her ho-rItalitle~ to the. perfume
tory days n home. HI. daughter, who ia his
almost constant friend and COMPANION. pre-
ferred 10 be associated with her fathers polit.-
cal and literary pursuits than to be a leader In
fashionable society. and while her nature -
like his. bright aud Iovial, il also has lis serious
side, which in her ease was uppermost. : % the
Reeds lived their own way in their hotel and
the head Of the family was the only shining
All thi. was different in the DAYS Of James q.
Blaino's Speaker-hip. Tho Blaine residence
was the centre Of hospitality as well as OF poll
tiral intrigue. and the sway Of the Speakers
wifi" and, later. Of her children in social affairs
WAS as powerful and far reaching as was that
Of the hrillian' Republican leader IN politics,
When BIai ne was speaker he IVpi IN one Of
the row on Fifteenth street. near |, which after.
ward became famous aS the homeSu of Fernando
Wood, gov. Thomas swami o. Maryland and
homes are now given over to commercial pur.
poses. although IN" surrounding neighhorhpoi
Is ls much IN the fashion a before. Opposite
steps TO the south, l. the hntci where Real
lived while Speaker, and stlll nearer on the
same side OF the street, To- the north. j., 'hat in
which the present speaker Ot the House OF
Representatives, m" su"'rsSOr Ot blaine AMI
Reed. lives IN n irw COMFORTABLE rooms with his
wife and daughter Neither, was known to
Washington socl"tyrXrrIt in The congressional
circle unit after n" Speakershlp election. and
even now the Hrndersuns have no particular
place ia the strictly social Ing, Of n" c%apitai.
The Speaker has no social obligations 70 dis.
charge. and the widespread belief that all
congressman and Government officials are
compelled by the nature Of things To- maintain
establishment and entertain lihrralIv Is dis
proved By the statement already made that
Baiue was III" on yS;caEcr IN recent years who
oyen.d h, homo ,r"e.y to me butterfly world
didat". henderson, Ike his immediate preI"-
cessor-. lives ,uS' about rs he would At his own
home in Dubuque. "Nc"nt that h" receives and
accepts NOR" Invitations to dinners and Ike
functions her" than th"r"
The daily oi'lcill life 4 the Speaker is busy
and not altogether upIntercsting although
there are undoubtedly many moments ~ IL
the honor o. presiding uyc' the great legis-
lutiyr body APPEAR I h. "a empty one. NhOut
II O'Clock each m.rulug unless tho House
shoul I h" ac'l Z under an nrd"i T. meet before
IL" U-ll1! hour 81 II speaker ll"ndHrsun
leaves his hotel. where h. h, : slcnt an hour or
50 looking over hia mO'uirg W0i. IIr ritcs in a
somewhat GiuryO ireI coulr, Il : river " bout
livery All his horse q hands IA" ,!aIplr gray.
When he rrr"hes the Caption h" goes AZ once to
the Speako's room uu tho main 0Oor OF he
eastern end Of the mem h"r- lobby and close
to IN" en'ronc" 81 ~" lioG7" This has been
the speaker official room tor fifteen or twenty
years, and underneath u there i a NOR" private
room at his disposal whore he takes 'unch amt
holds lriNatr cunt"renc"S win hl| llsuten-
ant on, the floor AMI persona, friends
The first business in the speaker $ nttlcial room
each morning is tO listen ~ the appeals oi
members who seek II promise Of recognition"
to call NJ certain measures Tor tn copsiI.rd-
ton Of the " use which generally require
unanimous consent. The SPEAKERS relation
to these requests has been largely IniSuna er-
stood and Reeds manner OF refusing. when h"
could not grant them IS IN a iaiG" degree re-
sponsihle for his nickname ~ the tZhr. Yet.
in saying YES" or mo- t. such requests. the
SpraSer j. but rNerc sing TIE privilege enjoyed
by each member Of tn" House to refuse Il unan-
imou- consent. II N" Speaker said yes any
consent would be- %nulilel. The only al.
vantage possessed. 10y the Speaker in
such ease that b." ms the frst
lty is perhaps grrdt"r than that Of my 81 his
predecessors cN"rrt Blaine and his manner of
receiving the unanimous consent requests
/ Of the members u, peculiar 10 himself. II he
can consistently grant them he does 50 in n
warm, gen .rOuS fashion. II he cannot he re-