Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-08-23
What 0NE" ENGLISHNAN
THINKS or WASH|NGT0A
National Capital Is Surely Most
Democratic Seat Of Ma
ticnal Government.
THE SLOW GOING HOUSE
Says Congress Is Easily the Mos.
American Thing in Amcrica-Sasy
Msthods Used to Keep Bust
ness on the Move.

AA'ttIiA W us ldllNb SOIL IMAM even MIS-.
Carrie Nation herself. The distinctive
!iaNor of the country is blown in Your
tace the moment You set foot within
the precincts of the capitol. That Is as
II should be; that is precisely what
sou have been hoping for. that is, at
any rate, VIA YOU overwhelmingly
iind. An American. no doubt, would
iind ii at Westminster ON both egis-
%tatures the national mark is stamped
broadly and Enthusiastically. and yields
an abundance of piquant contrasts in
manners. bearing. personnel and pro-
cedure.
The differences really begin to be
felt before you are inside either cham
Der. AT Westminster there are for
inalities to be observed. An NJ. p. has
to be importuned for a ticket of admis-
sion 70 the strangers gallery; the ticket
address are written down in a register;
Jour bag is c~onfiscated: there is a
gauntlet OF slightly suspicious officials
to be run: you feel that. logically, you
ought to have dynamite bombs con-
cealed in your o%vercoat pocket; there
Us an air OF official disappointment at
being obliged to let you in; and even
when the gallery is reached-and q
drearier place l never sat in-gruff and
pompous f~unctionaries. with all OF
George MS contempt for the nero
voter. marshal and watch you
SdSy W NSSSoSs
At Washington there Is nothing of
ell this. The note of unmitigated lib,
erty is struck on the very threshold OF
Che capitol. Any one can enter its pre-
cincts who wishes to. without refer
ance to age. color or sex. previous con-
ditiOn of Servitude nj present condition
If clothing. Millionaire or tramp.
white or black, the capitol and all its
corridors are yours to roam in and to.
smoke in at will. No II is at hand
to challenge your right of admission or
inquire after your business. No tick
cts. passes or credentials Of any sort
are asked for. You just walk straight
IN and wander about as you please. IL
There is a vacant sea- in the galleries.
and You wish TO listen to the debates.
you are entirely welcome to AXE it.
Liberty. in short, could go no farther.
Ut seems To me entirely and satisfac-
.oriiy American, and altogether con-
sonant with my ideas of the country
and its spirit, that matters should be
arranged this way. and that congress
should be conducted on the lines OF
a huge Legislative free lunch counter
ior all to nibble at. At the same time
/ own that lly English notions are &C
a%asionaliy startled when l see a nan
which NJ sccond-rate hotel would al
tow to enter its lobby %iounging about
in the precincts of the national leg
tSiature. ! have 10 stop now and then
and emind myself thai his presence
IS more than compensated tot by the
system that makes it possible. 1t is
uch sights and such reminders that
make democracy take on Il new sig
nificance for the English visitor. And
.hey ave the further usefulness of
preparing him for what is to come.
They advise him not to expect either
in the house or senate any characters
put rather genuine Ainericanism in its
fretst and easiest undresS.
Washington, City of Visitors.
That ut least is what he gets ahund-
entity. from all sides. wherever he
turns. 1t is not least noticeable in the
galleries of the W. hambers Wash
ngton is city = city of visitors. ana
congress comes just after the White
House and the Washington
as one of the sights that haze to be
done" You see cohorts of weird tour
lists ushered into the galleries., sitting
there for ten or fifteen minutes. and
hen marshaled out again to take up
the spectacular routine. Ninety per
cent. OF them are women. and their
presence. their dress. their bearing. add
them to be all intensely patriotic and
intensely bewildered. 1t is one of the
charms OF congress that nobody ever
seems to know What is being done.
Procedure in both houses is as much
a mystery to the onloOker as congress
"a hSS oA nv oOOA
ladies of Wyoming as l watch them
in the galleries seem a little anxious.
They are wondering shamefacedly why
they are not as much impressed as they
ought to be. and they are trying AL
most pathetically to convey at least
the impression of understanding what
is going on below them. As an enter
tainment I do not think much of con-
gress. and neither apparently do they.
They are bored. though they would not
fA, .oet1 81 Ina 4 md f1nfc ,,a1@,
blossoms into chat and comment among
themselves and little %outbursts of
laughter and applause whenever any
thing IN the floor of the house happens
to strike their fancy. IA encourages
a very homelike feeling and puts the
stray visitor at his ease at once. He
infers that it is not expected of him
to be overwhelmed by the dignity of
the assembly at whose deliberations he
is assisting. Indeed, dignity is hardly
the note Of the house of representa-
tives. The stately etiquette of the house
Of commons was left behind when
many of it's enlblems and precedents
We're trcaspIanted. The speaker is
there. but shorn Of the full wig and
flowing robe and silk knee breaches
that grace Mr.. Louther. The clerks at
the table are there. too. but so far as
eXternals go they might just as we'll he
clerks In Il dry goods store. There is
a sergeant at arms. but he is nua by
any means the deliberately dressed Off
cial We know in the house Of
The legislators are also there. but in
manners and appearance they do not
cut a very striking figure. An English
man. perhaps, is apt to be exacting on
such points. The house OF
even the present house of commons, is
unquestionably the best dressed assem-
bly, in the world. Its members have an
air OF good breeding about them, OF
men accustomed to drawing rooms and
.:e best kind of society. Congress looks
at first glance like a gathering of dis.
senfins ministers on small salaries-an
impression heightened by the g
sional costume of loose frock coat. low
cut vest. a turned down collar and a
white bow-and its manners suggest
anything but a drawing room.
counted the other day eleven repre-.
sentatives chewing unlighted cigars
AMI relieving themselves by profuse
splitting. TIE sight almost reconciled
- 10 the spectacle one is ltah,e to bs
confronted With at Westminster Of ar
=. J.. spraw.ing on the benches with
Is a; N ihree-0uarteSs asleeD-un'