The National tribune., 1903-03-12
DEATH OF THE 57th CONGRESS.
THE SENATE in EXTRA SESSION.

stead Law, WHICH mas gwen 10 tHe peo
pie of the country millions of homes.
| Here and there as the haze lifted lit
| tie knots of men could be seen leaning
| over desk, telling stories, or retailing the
| last bit of political gossip. Some OF the
| members We're writing letters, some were
looking up data for campaign speeches,
| and two or three were sleeping, with thelr
heads pillowed on their arms folded on
the rosewood desks.
1t is 10 o'clock by the big bronze time
piece over the main door of the House
when stout form, upborne by n heavy
cane, and surmounted by round, ruddy
face crowned in snow-white hair. appeared
at the side door, and a burst of applause
announces the appearance of Speaker
Henderson. and the short recess is de-
clared at an end.
The Speaker gives sounding thump
with his gavel, and Immediately ''Slim
Jim Richardson" Uenn.) is on his feet,
making the point of mo quorum" A roll
call is ordered. There is quorum, as
everybody knew there was, but it was a
part of the Democratic policy of flibuster-
ing.
The Clerk of the Senate comes in and,
making a stiff bow, presents lot of bills
which he says the Senate has passed with
out amendment.
Then the Santa Claus of the House, the
National Statistician. Mr. Grosvenor, calls
up the Veterans Preference Bill" I'M
mediately Mr.. Gillett tAiass.), a Republi-
can, and Mr. Underwood (Ala.), Demo-
GRAFT, demand seconds. That means that
they both oppose the bill. They insisted
q nd thpi
to taunt Mr.. Grosvenor with being dila-
tory about calling up the bill, which they
show has been II months in the Commit
tee Room, but none of them really object
TO it. They are only trying to make cam
paign material. Suddenly, into the arena
of debate pumps Mr.. Gardner Mass.),
who wants to know why this bill is not
framed so that Spanish War Veterans can
also have the benefit of it. Mr.. Gardner
was Colonel of Il Massachusetts, regiment,
or maybe it was Captain of a company,
in the campaign down in Florida. He in
sists strenuously that the Spanish War
veterans who passed through the Valley
of the Shadow of death shall have recog-
milton" He and Mr.. GiIlett threaten to
talk the bill to death.
Then Mr.. Sulzer (N. " takes it up,
and right gloriously does he defend it.
He declares that the kids who fought in
the Spanish-American War, and their
war, are not to be mentioned in the same
breath with the veterans of the civil war"
Ar. Sulzer looks like the picture of Henry
Clay, and he has style of oratory which
is said to resemble that Of Harry of the
West. He uses it to good effect now, at
any rate, and the Massachusetts statesmen
go down to defeat under his hammering.
The Democrats demand q roll-calI never
theless, and the bill passes with only 80
negative votes. Among them are the two
gentlemen from Massachusetts. Follow
ing the bill to the other side of the Capt.
tOl, it is discovered that the Veterans
Preference Bill runs up against Mas
sachusetts in the Senate. Mr. Lodge and
Mr.. Hoar object to its consideration, also
Mr.. Hale, of Maine. Mr.. Lodge is the
father-in-law of the Massachusetts Gard
ner, who was a Colonel, or maybe it was
Captain, in the Spanish-American war.
In the Senate the bill goes down to de-
feat. By the time it can be got up again
next year, $4,000 veterans of the war of
the rebellion will have answered the last
roll-call, and there Will be that many less
in the possible running for preference
After all, statesmen can do some
strangely narrow-contracted things.
-
Then there came up the bill to pension
Mrs. Reed, the wife of Mai Reed. who
discovered the yellow-ferer germ, and who
died because in his interest in science he
neglected his health. The Democrats be-
gan to filibuster. and after an hour or
more the simple little bill got through the
House on roll-call..
Mr.. Loudenslager, of New Jersey. called
mp the bill TO pension at $40 month the
$500 survivors of the Mexican War,
fought 30 years ago. They now get IS
month. and the youngest of them is past
Is. The Democrats filibustered with de-
mand for seconds. tellers and on TO a roll
call, led by Mr.. Underwood (Ala.), whose
mother was probably babe in arms when
that war was fought. The speakers pro-
,eed to discuss lighthouses, and one par
hcular lighthouse at Diamond Shoals
North Carolina. After time someone
calls for the question, and being brought
back to the bill TO pension Mexican War
veterans, the Democrats, still filibustering,
demand division, etc, and on roll-caIl the
bill is passed. Being Senate bill and
passing unamended, it only needed the
signature of the President, and that it got
1t is now law. The Mexican War sur
yivors will have little old 81 a month
more than they have been getting That
means 81 week, or little over Ia cents
a day!
And so they kept on until half the men,
bers of the House were asleep, and had
to be poked in the ribs when their names
were shouted on the endless succession of
roll-calls. The foul air in the Hall of the
House got blacker and the lights DINNER
In twos and threes and then in dozens the
people left the galleries. till at last only
dark leather chairs in stiff rows were seen
where before elegantly-gowned women had
made a Darterre of living flowers in their
bright-colored gowns. relieved now and
then by men in evening dress, who might
have been walters from the restaurants
below, but were probably society men.
Some were from the Diplomatic Corps
and here and there a uniform appeared.
AT a o'clock and minutes n. m. the
House took recess to 10 o'clock a. m. of
March 4, it still being the legislative day
of Thursday, Feb. 2G.
The last day, the last hours of the life
OF the 57th Congress brought to the Capt.
tol society in all its good clothes. The
galleries were packed, the corridors were
filled with pushing, crowding people. and
pages, messengers, members Of the House
and Senator's hurried about the great
White Building, as though when the gayel
should fall for the last time Gabriel's
trumpet would also sound, and their
houses would not be in order.
In the House there was but little to be
done. Just six hours had passed since the
recess at in the morning. The members
looked hollow-eyed and tired. Probably