The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1907-03-30
SIGN OF AUTHORITY
WHAT THE MACE MEANS TO as
sEMeLED CONGRESS.
Insignia Is Of the Most Ancient and
Honorable Criein-Wss First
Used Under the Roman
Republic.

At the right Of the speakers desk
In the hall of the house of represep-
tatives in the capitol at Washington
stands large cylindrical pedestal
made Of highly polished green marble
When the house is called 10 order
each day the sergeant-at-arms. or one
of his deputies, places upon this pedes-
tai the mace, which is the symbol Of
authority in the house When the
body adjourns, says ST. Nicholas, he
removes 1t, and keeps 1t in safety until
the house meets again.
This mace Is of very ancient and
honorable origin. Under the old Ro-
man republic, the magistrates passed
on foot from one place to another ad-
ministering justice, trying public Of
tenders and imposing penalties.
Each of these magistrates was at
tended by small body of men known
as lictors, whose duty 1t was to make
way for the officers of the law, pre-.
serve order, make arrests and infict
punishment on condemned citizens.
Each of these lictors carried with
him bunch of rods tied together with
thongs, and having an ak bound to
the outside of it. The thongs were
used for beheading Sentences i'm
posed by the magistrates were at once
carried out
These bundles of rods were known
as fasces. When the magistrates
passed along the thoroughfares the
| 1tntnra nrnnnInI than, hnnrtnu the
fasces aloft, and the assembled citi
zens Immediately made way for them
When any disorder arose nearby
the lictors appeared with the fasces
upon the sight of which quiet was in
stantly restored. No Roman either
ever ventured to question the author
ity Of this emblem.
| When the Romans conquered Brit
ain the use of the fasces as a symbo
was brought with them, and like many
other Roman customs remained with
the British people.
While II was no longer used for in
fiicting punishment it continued to be-
used as a symbol by the early nglisf
magistrates, and when an officer APP
peared carrying the fasces his a,i
thority was Immediately accepted b,
all. 1t was, in effect, his badge of of
fee.
The English form of the fasces wal
placed inside of the bundle of rods
with blade protruding from the top
The great councils of the early Sax
o-s gradually developed into one gen
eral body, which in the fourteenth
century became known as the hous,
of commons. In all these earle
councils the use of the fasces was con
tinued, but 1t then came to be know
as the mace, which has remained a.
the emeblem of legislative authorit,
In that body down to the present day
The house of representatives of tn,
United States was modelled closel,
after the house of commons by tn,
trainers OF our constitution and tn,
usage of the mace was borrowed from
the English custom.
The first mace adopted by thu
house was destroyed by fire when tn,
British burned the capitol in 1914
From 1914 until 1912 a mace of paint
ed wood did service, but in the lat
ter year the present mace was made
after the model of the original one.
1t is about three feet in height an,
consists of bundle of ebony rods
bound together with q band of silver
after the fashion of the fasces. From
the center of this bundle of rods pre-
trudes a silver stem, on which is
silver globe four or five inches in d,
ameter. This globe is an eagle O
solid silver with outspread wings.
This mace is the emblem of autho,
ity in the house, and when, as some
times happens, that body become
unruly and seems quite beyond tn
speakers control, the sergeant-at
arms appears, and, lifting the mac
from the pedestal, bears 1t up an
down the aisle of the hall. Instantl
every member sinks into his seat, OF
der is restored at once, and absolute
silence prevails. Any members VIII
disregards the mace is In CONTEMPT,
and Is liable to censure or even expu
sion.
Rests in LIES MeIodv