The National tribune., 1901-12-05
CONGRESS OPENS
Lively Scenes at the Capitol.
FOrmaIities in Senate-A Tus=
sic Over the Rules in the House.

There was a keen interest surrounding
the meeting of Congress last Monday. The
crowd was so great as to pack the vast
| Capitol Building to the point of suffoca-
ton. Many things contributed to the uB-
! usual attendance. For one thing the day
was of that balmy sort that characterizes
the Autumn in the North at the period
formerly known popularity as Indian
Summer" before the Weather Bureau
abolished that delightful season. Again
There were a lot of new men at both
ends Of the building more or less famous.
There were old faces back again, and
new ones, which the spectators were anx-
ious to see. Above all, however. is the
curious sense of the blind trail ahead; the
fathom, but cannot.
The tragedy at Buffalo is ut the bot
tom of it.
There is no lack of faith, but this does
not subdue curiosity, and the fact of a
fresh Congress coming together under
such conditions was enough to bring to
the fore again sense of the great change
that had come since this body was chosen
last year by the people.
The members of the House and Senate
were in attendance in strong force. There
were many changes in both bodies. In
the Senate Mr.. Kyle had died, NJ. chan
dler, Mr.. Lindsay, Mr.. Carter, of Hiver
and Harbor oratiOn fame. and Pettigrew
had retired to private life.
Three former members of the body
Mr.. Blackburn, of Kentucky; Mr. Mitch
ell, Of Oregon, and Mr.. Dubois. of Idaho
were warmly greeted, but the latter
now sits on the Democratic side. while
in the old days he was the Republican
leader of his State. The venerable Sem
ator Teller, of Colorado, also this time,
for the first in his history, moved over
and had a chair with the Democrats.
The Senate especially looked like
flower garden, and chief of all the dec
oratlons was that in front of Senator
Clark, of Montana. In the House, too,
there were plenty of flowers.
Nothing was done at the Senate except
to open and adjourn, with Mr.. Frye in
the chair.
In the House there was a lively time,
and the session lasted till after O'Clock
The same officers were elected as by
the last Congress, and Mr.. Henderson, of
Iowa, again took the gayel, the Demo
Gratis casting their votes for Mr. Richard
son, of Tennessee, which means that he
shall lead the opposition to everything
proposed on the Republican side of the
Chamber.
The minority does not feel called upon
to do anything but simply to object and
vote no.
tILie was Dy the
usual tilt over the rules, which are the
famous Reed brand that no one supposed
would survive the Gar, but which seem
to have come to stay. They stayed this
time, as usual, with few minor changes
that do not take any power from the
Speaker.
The customary drawing of seats was
the last business of the day.
Galusha A. Grow, of Pennsylvania,
who was Speaker of the House before
the War, and Gen. Bingham, also of
Pennsylvania, the oldest member in point
of continuous service, on the Republican
side, and Mr.. Richardson and Mr.. Cream
er, of New York, who returns to Congress
after an absence Of % years, were al
lowed to select their places before the
drawing by lot began.
After all the members names had been
drawn, the Delegates from the Territor-
les, old and new, were allowed to scram-
BILE for the rest without formality.
President Roosevelt did not send in his
message till Tuesday, in order to give
the House time to organize, and then ad-
Journment was taken out of respect to
the memory of William Mckinley