Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-03
TOURIST IMPRESSIONS OF CONGRESS
Absence Senators Floor
Noticed by
From he Evenine Post.

This is the season of the year when
Washington experiences the annual
coming of seeking TOURISTS,
bright-faced young school mistresses
by the dozen, students OF both sexes
by scores and miscellaneous Visltors
bv hundreds. Though washington IS
always a show place in the eyes OF the
people of all the states and territories,
IL is especially so I'm the early spring
season. In such years like the pres
ent the visitors go to the capitol with
one accord, hunt up their congressman
and senator and have him tell theln
how superlatively glad he is 10 see
them here and how glad he VIII be
to do anything whatever 70 make thelr
stay pleasant.
AS an evidence of his good Will he
has his secretary show them the way
TO one of the galleries, from Wnich
point Of vantage they may Watch nun
as he clrculates among his colleases
on the floor The visitors realize What
q grand and good thing 1t Is 10 ne
an American citizen. and, like the
Romans of old glory I'm 1t as grander
possession than is given to any other
people. Judging by some recent oc-
currences. however, at both ends OF the
capitol II is interesting to contemplate
the sensations experienced by nun
dreds of these visitors when they come
to seek out their congressman and ma
him absent instead of occupying the
chief position on the floor.
Many of these visitors go TO the gal
leries early In the forenoon to see the
senate begin its days business, evil
IDENTIFY expecting some impressive cere-
mony What they see must pc
shock. One morning this week the
galleries were particularly full when,
the "hour of IL O'Clock noon" having
arrived" the Rev. Edawrd Everett
Hale. the senate chaplain, rose beside
the vice president to make his daily
PRAYER Besides these two there we're
in the chamber Senator Warner Of Mis-
souri, and Senator Alger of Michigan
and the pages, who stood in semi
circle in the we'll before the vice presi-
dents desk The daily invocation was
pronounced before this beggary array
of empty benches. Three other sena-
tors drifted in at the conclusion of the
prayer as the clerks voice began to
drone the preceding days journal.
That was absolutely all the eager
seekers saw.
The supreme court offers the only
bit of satisfactory pageantry To pe
seen In Washington. The Justices live,
move and have their being In solemn
and their own high estate by sundry
traditional devices and customs. when
they cross the capitol corridors from
their retiring room to the court room
red plush barriers are stretched from
door to door. and the little cluster OF
people who invariably gather to watch
the procession file solemhly past must
uncover. Every person In the court
room must rise as the justices enter
and remain standing until the court
is seated This satisfies the longing of
the visitors for stately effects.
Absenteeism Among Congressman
Absenteeism is one of the chronic
complaints from which congress suf-
fers. Theoretically, when the two
houses assemble each day at noon
every member is in his place on the
floor to look out for the interests of
his constituents. In realty large pro-
portion of each house is usually abb
sent. due in part to individual, per-
sonal reasons, but in many cases to
the demands of committee work. 1t
is unfortunate that visitors do not
usually appreciate this last reason, for
if they did they would not go away
with such an unfavorable impression
of congress as a working body. Many
senator's for instance. as Senator
Foraker brought to public notice few
days ago. have important duties every
day of the week with committees on
which they are serving. Some of these
committees hold morning sessions and
adjourn in time for the senators to at
tend the legislative work on the floor
Other committees may have been au-
thorized to sit during the sessions of
the senate, thereby taking senator's
from the floor and keeping them busily
occupied, while visitors in the galleries
may be commenting unfavorably on
the small attendance in the chamber.
Nevertheless the shock to the home
folks is Just as great and they gather
the impressions which are to be handed
around to their neighbors when they
get back home that congress is a lazy,
haphazard, -as-you-please body that