The National tribune., 1903-03-12

made during two years term, and the
effect which that history will have upon
generations unborn The real Congress
brings its business to n close good deal
like letting OUT school on the last day.
The 57th Congress which came to an
end at high II, Wednesday, Marcel, +, l!n'
has not been particularly memorable Tor
anything. 1t has had no conspicuGusly
only a few who brought disrepute on that
honorable body. That, fortunately, has
NOT often happened in a United States
Congress.
5,Ise- - si-:F,o..
The closing scenes in the 51th Congress
were made rather monotonous by rolFcaiiS'
forced by the Democratic minority, when
was hopping mad over the u9seatins o.
Butler, of Missouri, one of their own, anu
seating of Waggoner, who is Republl-
can. This ',filibuster made strenuous
times for everybody. They began it Thurs
day. Feb. %, and they KEPT it up till the
Sneaker whacked the gavel the last time
and declared the 51th Congress ADJOURNED
without tiate. The sessions OF the House
opened at II O'Clock in the morning, ana
they closed when both sides were worn
ont and mutually agreed to recess. rms
was sometimes at midnight, sometimes at
2 in the morning, and once or twice eA-
tended to 3 a. m. 1t was necessary LOT
the Democrats and Republicans to Keep on
the floor of the House working MAJORITY
each, for the instant either side lost that
majority. all that each had been STRIVING
for would be lost. 1t was pretty tough
proposition to keep this up for week, put
the Democrats managed it.
II was really great blow to both sides,
for in the closing days of Il Congress there
are farewell parties galore. Keceptiols,
presentations, box parties at the theiter
and all that sort of social game when
is mt ND to make the departing ones feel
good. and to enable them to put in their
home papers the beautiful courtesles
rendered them on their departure from
Washington But with a call of the House
impending every half hour, such fest1vi-
ties are a nuisance. 1t is not pleasant to
be in the midst of toast to The ladies',
God bless en-" for instance, and have
burly Sergeant-at-Arms spoil it by appear
ing with warrant for your instant ap-
pearance at the House. Then there is leg
islation that many leave to the last hoping
TO crowd it through under suspension OF
the rules.
Tuesday night everybody was worn out
and the House looked like dance-hal
after a 'srougl-house" episode. The floor
of the House looked like a clutter room.
Some 300 waste paper baskets stood by as
many desks. piled full of old letters, torn
bills. crumpled resolutions and stacks OF
daily papers damned in for good measure
The green carpet, white with the accumn,
lations of dust for the week. was covered
an inch deep with bits OF biotters, DIS,
and Congressional Records, the nervous
and WORKOUT members had torn to shreds
during the tiresome waits, the frequent re-
cesses, aud distracting Tell-calls.
The members of the House could be but
dimly seen through the blue haze OF to-
bacco smoke. During the entire Congress
smoking on the floor of the House is pro-
hibited, but in the closing hours al! the
rules get black eyes. Through the cloak
room doors rosy CLEAN from the red
papered, walls and dancing lights from the
fireplaees within flashed out into the bad
smelling, :poorly-lighted Hall of the House,
and statesmen in various positions OF ease
lounged in the big bamboo rocking chairs,
or lolIed on the touches. perfect volcano
of blue smoke pouring out to meet that
which had been growing stale for a week
in the House.
Sometimes, above the pound-pound of
the gavel or the high-pitched nasal twang
of the official readers, the clear notes OF
a tenor voice could be heard, as the play
ing statesmen listened to 81 Dreamt |
Dwell in Marble Halls" or 'The Last
Rose of Summer" sung by one of their
number. Not infrequently Marching
Through Georgia. or '.John Browns
Body" sung by a dozen or more, would
disturb the wielder of the gavel. and he
would order the Sergeant-at-Ams to
'sauiet the riot" soto voce, for he knew
what good time the fellows" were hav-
ing, and would much rather have been i'll
the cloak room with them. than listening
to the dreary droning of the rolI-call.
: Now and then the frequenters Of the
galleries knew that a good story was be-
ing told, by the sounds of laughter which |
fioated out on the cigar smoke. A door
keeper kept guard at the cloak-room door,
and watched the roll-call. ''They have got
to 3D. now, he would caution Mr.. Day
ton. of West Virginia, or Mr.. Dick, of
Ohio, or it might be earlier in the rol-call,
and the tall, slender. soldierly veteran
from Kansas would be warned that the
"C's- were next. and Calderhead came
first in the list. Then the aforementioned,
nervous leader from Illinois would dodge
out with his cigar in his fingers and an
swer to 'AIr. Cannon" and dodge back
again to finish the story he was telling.
'-Old Pete Hepburn" of Iowa, strong,
stubborn, logical in debate, with a wit and
repartee that cuts like a knife, was gen.
orally in his seat. So was the elongated
exclamation point from Tennessee '.Slim
Jim Richardson" the monitor Of the
Democratic side Of the House. He does
not sing. and he seldom tells story. He
is not much loved, but he is nevertheless
a leader, and on the floor of the House the
members are to him but chessmen, put
there 10 make certain moves and win GER
tain points.
Serene B. Payne, Of New York, since
the death of the great tariff man of the
age. Mr.. Dingley, of Maine. the leader
of the Republicans, was in his seat, look
ing like Chinese mandarin, minus the
robes. and just back of him sat Dalzell.
of Pennsylvania. small of stature, thin of
voice, nervous of action, but watchfui of
the growing necessity for rule to curb
the flibustering minority. Away over in
the Cherokee Strip" which is the remote
side of the Democratic division TO the right
of the Speaker. sat the native son of
Hawaii, Robert w. Wilcox, his arms fold
ed across his narrow chest, his dark face
sombcr with thought, possibly of his
blighted hopes in the late elections, his
hopes for the appropriations for his be-
loved ex-Queen blasted also. and on the
opposite side in the Republican edge of
the House sat another dark-faced Repre-
sentative. whose straight and shining
black hair and keen. black eyes showed
him 10 be of the aboriginal blood of the
American Continent Curtis. of Kansas,
'Big Chief Charlie" of the Kansas tribe.
the Treaty signers.