The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-01
THEY MEET UNCLE JOSEPH t. CANNON MemberS-EIect Eager to Know Spsaker of Next House LAST DAYS OF CONGRESS Unanlmity of Opinion that Changes in White House Have Made 5otcn
 of the Historic Structure.
 Washington Gossip.
LAST DAYS OF CONGRESS
BY ARTHUR W. DUNN.


 Washington, February 2s.-During the closing days of congress there have been 1 a great many members-eleet of the next house who have come here to Hook the situation over" and to get acquainted with the manner in which congress does business The members-eleet are entitled to the privileges of the floor of both sen ate and house, and they meet the friends of the senators or representatives or thelr state delegations. There Is one man they do not fail to get acquainted with, and they strive to make good impress sion. The Hon. Joseph c. Cannon Is the man of all others whom they desire to l impress with their importance. Some or l them say something about committee places and others merely hint that they will submit their desires to the coming speaker at his convenience Occasionally there is a member elect who does not Wish to become a member of the ways and means appropriations, or some other
 equally important committee. Some are l content with very modest demands, and | sometimes a new member IS found who says that he does not care what the speaker does Tn the matter of committees He may mean what he says or It may be that he has already had some friend at- l tend to his interests. The members-elect l all seem to have a pretty good time in Washington. Their impressions if can didly told would be rather interesting, but about the first thing they learn is to talk only in very general terms for pub icaton.
 Senator Cullom was in an elevator the other day when some one shook hands with him rather effusively saying:
 How do you do, Senator Fairbanks; l am very glad to see you
 The stranger got out at the second floor and Senator Cullom proceeded to the basement As he stepped out of the ele- vator another man reached out and grasplng his hand said:
 "Why, Senator Proctor. am delighted to see you. l hope you are quite well this winter.'
 As the man passed on Senator Cullom remarked: If this keeps up much longer l won't know who 1 really am l Throughout all discussions that there have been upon the Improvements. so 1 called, at the White House, no one has l been found to defend the plan and its l accomplishment in every particular l There are many examples of bad build l ings erected at public expense in every part of the country, but no one has ever ] heard the unanimous denunciation which the new office building for the President has provoked From the day congress assembled until the present time every senator and representative who has visit l ed the White House seems to have had but one impression, and has freely ex- pressed 1t. The building has been rid1- culed at dinners and other gatherings and l on the floor of the house. Men have called upon the President and wondered how such a building could have been erected for him.
 Once when a party of senators. repre- sentatives, and government officials came out of the Presidents office they found a pile of coal stacked up directly in front of the door, and coal carts waiting to un- load at the same place. Of course coal was a good thing and appreciated, but why the coal should be right in front why the coal hole should be right in front of the Presidents door is a mys- tery. Perhaps the money spent and the results obtained may not be in vain. If the general complaint and criticism of the arrangements would result in the con struction of a new White House. a large and commodious structure. which might be upon the general plan of the old build ing before the recent Improvements, so- Cdlltu, were tllcIl lne will have accomplished good purpose. There is a sentiment against changing the old White House, because 1t has be- come historic, and because, as it stands now, 1t was good enough for ilIustrious presidents that have gone before. Yet only the shell remains. The rooms and arrangements are not as they were when Dolly Madison was the first lady of the land, or when "Old Hickory" Jackson ruled for eight years, nor as it was dur ing the time the gentle Lincoln was mag istrate. The stone walls are there. the columns, and the general outside appear ances are the same, but all these could be retained in a new structure three times as large and on the same site. Then there would be no complaint about the new entrance under the east room or the "squatty' office building on the west side.
 Senatorial courtesy is more than ap