The Washington herald., 1909-01-31
Garnered in the Capitol
Thumb Nail Sketches of Some of the Great Men
of the Past and Present Generation.

A peculiar fact in respect to California;
+ Representative in Congress IS that onI.
one Of the ten is native OF the stat
. which ne represents Senator Perkins i
native Of the rock-bottoned old coas
toxin OF Kennebunk. Maine. where 1t
was raised by seafaring parents. an'
where he shipped before the mast
when he arrived at suitable age He 4
loest remembered BY the older peopl
there now as George Glen" the lat
ter contraction Of his middle name Glen
ent. This distinction was made neeessar,
by the fact that there were a dozen o.
two young Perkins in the neighborhood.
Senator Flint originated in North Read
ing, Mass, so that both California;
Senator'S came of old New EngIan,
stock. Englebright. of the First distrfc
Is . native Of New Bedford. Mass: Nc
kinlay. Of the second. was born in On
tario. Canada; Knowland, OF the Third
was born IN the city Of Alameda. wher.
he has always resided; Kahn, OF th'
Fourth. was born in the Grand Duchl
/ Of Baden. Germany: Hayes, OF the Fifth
In Jefferson County. Wis: Needham. o.
the Sixth, vas born IN an emigrant
wagon while his parents were passins
/ through Carson City. New: McLzchien
Of the Seventh, was born in Argyllshire
Scotland. and Smith. of the Eighth. first
saw the sunshine in Iowa What a fore
gathering from ali corners OF the earth,
And yet California is old enough Il
have raised her delegation in Congress.
The autobiography Of John DalzeH.
the greateTt living legislative exponent
Of the principle Of protection. occupies
less than ten full lines Of the Congress
sionai directory. Among the information
5hus briefly conveyed are the facts TIA,
+ he graduated from Yale in the class of
$50. that he first began hts public career
as 4 member Of the Fiftieth Congress. and
that he has remained there ever since.
he is, therefore. now closing twenty
years service in the House. There is a
possibility that he may succeed Senator
Knox, and If the principle Of promotion
for long and hard political service was
ever recognized It certainly ought to 5e
IN MS case.
Dalzeli is little man with an jron. gray
mustache and twist in his neck which
inciines his head OF over his right sboul-
der. and his general aspect is thar ~ =
smoked herring. Nothing is ever sun
posed 70 attract his attention excepf
an ins1dioUs attempt 10 undermine protec-
ton. and 10 promote and defend this is
Dis hfework- He knows more about the
tariff than some men do about everything
else, and the only touch OF softuess in
MS makeup is the always fresh carna-
tlon worn as a boutonniere-
Il is TO &c hoped that sometime previous
to the final roundup Of all things the
House VIII find ways and means 20 pro
vide creditable public writing room
for the use Of the large number Of peopla
who have business with members Of that
body There is now no such room excsnt
the corner OF Statusry Hall. Temporarily
fitted I'D for the exclusive use Of Ias5v
callers. while mere men visitors are cor7-
PEELED 70 lean Up against the wall or
stand around the corridors in the Urav
Whiie ths leaden-footed mercury EXPLORES
the innermost receSses u the chamber "a
uuearth the member wanted.
The entire scheme. OF lack Of one for
the reception OF visitors is most dis
creditaDie TO the MANAGEMENT al that end
OF the Capitol. One corner of Stafuar-
Hall IS used as a lady's waiting room
another corner houses the ten-cent conn
ter for the distribution Of the Congress
sional Record. one OF the alcoves Is 1T
tered with the accumulation Of the House
document room. and the other side is
taken up with the Capitol tube station
for the Library OF Congress
This condensation Of various indus
tries into a space entirely united for II
and worthy OF a better fate IS a CRYING
shame 70 the powers which are and WITH
the enlargement OF space consequent on
the occupancy Of the new Office building
Il is not necessary. IN any event. the
old hall OF the House is worthy OF better
treatment than 70 be used as q junk shop
or peacock walk reception alcove.
The one historic spot TO which visitors
20 the Capitol are very seldom shown by
the guides IS the vault prepared for the
tomb Of Washington It is exactly under
the center Of the building. and is reached
from the subbasement Il is a dismal.
ghoulish dungeon. largely given over to
the possession OF bats and the things
which live in silence and darkness. and
IS only shown visitors or request as z
special favor
Il was designed by the government as
the tomb Of Washington and his wife. but
nothing was officially done as to the re-
moval Of the bodies until IS2 when q
committee OF Congress was appointed TO
carry out the design The state Of Vir-
yinia at once entered an emphatic pro-
test against the removal. though the
family had consented Very soon. how
ever, the heirs came 10 the Virginia vav I
of thinking, and the project was definitely /
abandoned.
The arrangements for the reception OF 4
the distinguished dead had progressed /
70 far that a diss on which to deposit
Tie marble collins was erected and
draped. and the moUldy cobwsb en-
crusted remains CT these and the sur 4
accessories are vet IN evidence.
The everlasting resting place Of the NOR
al remains OF the first and greatest Of 4
our immortals in the depths OF the I
mighty Capitol which he did so much TO 1
establish would have been in a senti-
mental sense most appropriate. but on
he whole il is quite as well that they
-epose in the wildwood glen near the
home he loved In the free, fresh air. I
where the birds are ever fitting and sing
ng by the side OF the great river. he best
leeps.
Once again the junior Senator from
Arkansas. the sui generis Jen. has in
erted a whole bunch OF painful and per-
nanent erinps in the writhing cadaver
4 the loathed octopus. This IS assum-
ne that his recent speech did its In .
ended execution Perhaps it didn't. In
ny event predatory wealth and the