Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-10-29
"Not for the Public.

clock"
''For the supreme court only"
SO read signs on elevators in the
parts of the capitol at Washington oe
eupied by the august bodies above
mentioned.
"The Offices Of the members of the
cabinet are closed to visitors, by order
of the President, on Tuesday and Fri
days, cabinet days
"The department is closed to visit
ors, after p. m"
So read signs which stare the visitor
in the fact upon approaching the
portals of any of the nine executive
departments in Washington.
And these a:e not the only prohibit
tive notices which the citizens from a
distance has thrust under his eve when
he tries to do business in Washington,
either at the capitol or in the depart
ments. The doors of the galleries of
the house and senate. for instance, are
carefully labeled and guarded, and
only those coming within the category
included in each sign are admitted to
each subdivision of the galleries, no
matter how many seats may remain
vacant while the people are standing
in line awaiting a chance to enter the
'public" gallery farther down the cor.
ridor. The Diplomats, on the rare
occasions when any attend, are ush
cred with ceremony into finely embel
lished, zealously guarded, set of com
Portable benches; the Executive gal
lery,' in which no executive of re.
cent years has been brave enough to
sit and listen to the uneomplimentary
things said about him by the opposi.
tion-is nearly always entirely empty;
the "member card gallery" is only
for those who through acquaintance
with a legislator can obtain the finely
engraved card of admission which
cards are given out by the hundreds by
the genial gentleman of the toga, and
by no means insure the bearer a seat
if the occasion is in any way out of
the ordinary, Finally, over the door
which leads into the least desirably
situated subdivision of the galleries,
from which only the rear elevation of
the bulging cranmms of the statesmen
can be admired, and can read the magic
words "public gallery" and there
the ordinary citizen, who has no
pull, perhaps, but no doubt pays
his taxes regularly to support the
national Legislature among other func-
tious of the government, may rest his
weary limbs, after being shunted from
one reserved" elevator to another.
and, it may be, making almost cir
euit of the corridors in search of
"puble" elevator, finally, in despair
climbing the two flights of broad, mar
BILE stairs which bring him to the gal
lery,
In the department the same air of
exclusiveness prevails Watchmen are
stationed at all entrances who closely
sean all comers; and the signs before
mentioned play their little part in
awing the caller. If the hour of .
has struck the ordinary caller is told
that he cannot enter, and if he has
business to transact it must wait until
the next day-no matter how important
IL may be TO him or how much expense
he may be put TO in remaining over.
II he is successful in gaining entrance,
aud desires 20 see the head of the de.
partment, he is asked by a dusky mes,
scRgeF for his card and the nature
of his business, and is requested to
"take seat. Tie takes one, and
finally begins TO think, as an hour OF
two 70 by, that il is his in fee simple.
Sometimes, il il is "A very comfortable
seat, he goes to sleep, and Just as he is
dreaming that he is back home telling
the folks all about how cordially Mr..
Secretary Blank received him and at
once granted his request, he is aroused
10y the secretary 10 the secretary who,
after inquiring the details Of his err
rand, tells him that he should see AS.
sistaut Secretary This or Superinten.
dent That who has charge of the mat
teraud soon the caller is again tramping
the dim, endless corridors looking for
the room 20 which he has been directed,
There, perhaps, he goes through the
same procedure again-for some sabor,
dlnates are as tenacious Of their Official
eNclusivcness as their chiefs
These "red tape" restrictions upon
the conveyance Of the visiting public
in Mashington have. tho santrv be.