The Ordway new era., 1907-04-12

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II. 10 u M Ntss Anslsnt and
,corsbls oeIolN-vNos Fist
Used Undsr t'Ns neman
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Hepubtte.
the right Of the spsaker's desk
! hall OF the house os represen.
s in the capitol at Washington
= a large cylindrical pedestal
of highly polished green marble.
en- the house In called TO order
day the sergeant-atarms. or one
deputies. places upon this pedes-
Ae mace. which is the symbol Of
Srity In the house. When the
adjonrns. says st. Nicholas, he
xes il, and keeps Il In safety until
Aouse meets again.
! mace is Of very ancient and
Iable origin. Under the old Ro-
rcpublic. the magistrates passed
b, from one place to another. ad-
herring Justice, trying public Of
|rs and Imposing penalties.
d OF these magistrates wac at
u by a small body of men known
tors. whose duty 1t was to make
for the officers OF the law. pre-
order. make arrests and iniiict
hment on condemned citizess.
h of these lictors carried with
bunch of rods tied together with
!. and having an ax bound to
sltslde OF II. The thongs were
for beheading. Sentences i'm.
By the magistrates were al once
b out.
Sc bundles OF rods were known
Ssces. When the magistrates
along the thoroushfares the
preceded them. bearing the
aioft. and the assembled citi-
Immediately made way for them.
bn any disorder arose nearby.
tiors appeared with the fasces,
he sight of which quiet was In
restored. No Roman citizen
entured to question the author.
this emblem.
IN the Romans conquered Brit.
p use OF the fasces as n symbol
bought with them. and like many
Roman customs remained with
fitish people.
le II was no longer used for in
punishment II continued to be
s a symbol by the early nglish
rates. and when an officer ap-
carrying the fasces his au.
was Immediately accepted by
was. In effect. his badge Of Of
English form OF the fasces was
changed in that the ax was
inside Of the bundle OF rods.
lade protrudlng from the top.
great councils of the early Sax
ldually developed into one gen
pdy. which In the fourteenth
became known as the house
mons. In all these earlier
9 the use OF the fasces was con-
but II then came to be knows
mace. which has remained az
leblem OF legislative authority
body down to the present day.
house OF representatives OF tie
States was modelled closcl'
he house OF commons by the
of our constitution and the
4 the mace was borrowed from
glish custom.
first mace adopted by the
ras destroyed by fire when the
burned the capitol in 1914.
Sl4 until 1912 a mace OF paint
d did service. but In the lat
the present mace was made.
E model Of the original one.
about three feet in height and
of bundle of ebony rods.
ogether with a band of silver.
E fashion Of the fasces. From
Ter OF this bundle of rods pro-
silver stem, on which is q
obe four or five inches in IL
This globe is an eagle CT
yer with outspread wings.
nace is the emblem of author
Ae house, and when. as some
happens. that body becomes
and seems quite beyond the
: control. the sergeant-at-
ppears, and, lifting the mace
E pedestal. bears 1t up and
e aisle Of the hall. Instantly
ember sinks into his seat. or
estored at once. and absolute
prevails. Any members who
ds the mace is In contempt" !"
able to censure or even expul-