Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-09

Na8 10 ~
IL third house." Third house
. is the name given in the days Of
~ Hayes to the assemblage of lob
byists which annually meets in Washington
simultaneously with the opening Of con-
gress and remains there until the national
legislative bodies adjourn.
The ffty-seventh third house has as
much work before II as both branches OF
congress. At its present session the third
house" has not only a quorum, but the
largest attendance in it's history. It's man
ner OF conducting business differs from
that followed by the United States senate
and the congressman in the hall at the
other end of the capitol building, only In
that instead Of concerted action. each mem
Der acts for himself, and only the fttest
survives. The third house" has no use
for the machinery called parliamentary
rules. 1t works and accomplishes its ends
with such tools as woman's beauty, her
wiles or tears; with mems threats or ca
jolery and a Jolly or two; with favors
and presents and with promises Of infu-
ence in future elections, and with the
golden s~weetmeats Of corporations.
BeRutifuI but Not Astute.
Here is a bill of particulars:
On the day congress convened the house
of representatives was invaded by a woman
whose beauty was as perfect as that OF any
heroine in a yellow novel. Her presence
permeated the great hall like a cheap per-
fume. There was elastic in the necks Of
congressman and the eyes of the thousand
and one spectators in the galleries were
focused upon her. For she was on the
very floor, going about among the members.
She hesitated not even at the rostrum,
where the august clerks were clearing their
threats for roll call. 1t should be added
that any respectable person is allowed the
freedom of the floor of the house on open
ing day up to noon, when the gavel falls.
The woman was as dark and as tall and as
graceful as Theodore Duse. And her
a~uuiline features told us that, like Duse,
she was of Italy. AS she moved among the
members on the republican side Of the
house the whole democratic side, as one
man, followed her with hypnotized eyes.
She presented a letter here, a card there,
smiled dazzlingly and transhxed statesmen
with her eyelids. So much for the house.
Next day she laid siege to the senate
establishing her headquarters in the recep-
ton room. She enslaved the sergeant-at-
arms, his deputy, the senate doorkeepeI
and all the pages, who carried her cards
to this and that senator. These great mel
abandoned the nations affairs and came
out to give their ears to the woman oil
Italy, Next day she again appeared in the
senate reception room, and the next, until
now for the brutal truth-the sergeant-at'
arms became guilty of insubordination. He
refused to send even one more OF tht
woman's cards into the senate chamber.
That woman Of Italy was a member o.
the third house." and as such, a failure
Her Italian way could never capture al
American congress. The Italian way is tai
wrong way. Incidentally it should be men
toned that it had been bruited about tina
one Of the first tasks before congress wa
to pass a bill placing further restriction
upon immigration, and that the principa
immigrant carrying ships hail from port
of Italy.
As nOther Woman Worked.
In contrast, here is an example Of tn
right way, the only way by which a mem
Der of the third house can achieve sue
cess. A furnished mansion was rented b
a woman. She was older than the one VIII
Duse-like. She was western, not pretty