The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-03-31

lions will read it. also doubtless he
won't, for the chances are the dis
tinguished senator merely requested
the page to tell that oothersome con-
stituent who has been waiting out III
the marble room for the last hour, tG
wait another hour, by which time the
DISTINGUISHED senator will have slip
ped out another door and gone to
lunch.
Mark, too, how another distinguish
ed senator is writing something out
with great care while the page stands
by to receive the message. It's i'm
portance must be great, for see how
the senator reads it over to the lad,
pointing out each word with his pen
Gil. The page mods inlelligently, folds
the note carefully and speeds away.
Doubtless he will return presently
with his arms full of learned books
and the eenator will make a speech
that will ecnc ,iowr me corridors of
time for as much as a week.
But if the watcher in the gallery
could follow the winged page on his
errand it would not be to the congress
sional library, but to the senate res
taurant in the basement of the caIi-
tol. And if he could look over the
chefs shoulder and read the note with
him, he would see that the distin-
guished senator is mighty particular
about the way his chops shall be
broiled. Yesterday, it seems, they
were not to the senator's liking, and
the chef will take notice that if he
falls down that way again he will
hear from the committee on rules,
which runs the senate restaurant and
pays the chefs salary.
If the senate page should take a
notion to disclose the secrets of his
prison house he could a tale unfold
that would make the undertaking
magazines look like periodicals sub
sidized by Wall street. He could tell
exactly, what that whispered message
was that passed between a leader on
one side of the aisle to a leader on
the other side at a critical moment
during a roll-call. He could tell what
went on the cloak room when a deal
was on to trade one little bill for
another little bill, and incidentally to
break party measure.
Evan the familiar designations by
which pages know their masters
would make mighty good copy. One
senator somewhat known for his
querulousness invariably is referred
to by the fraternity as "Grandma,"
which is hardly parliamentary even
in the cloak room.
It would be interesting to know
what becomes Of senate pages when
they outgrow the job. They have been
known to become senators, but that
is rare. There must, of course, be
thousands of ex-pages who now are
doctors and lawyers and merchants
and other things. Probably close
observer and student OF human ma
ture might be able to pick them out.
It might not be an absolutely safe
rule to follow, but as a broad princi-
pie and if early training counts for
it may be laid down that
any person who says a gooo deal
without meaning anything at ali; who
insists when reminded of an. thing
that he was coming to that pres
entity" who wriggles out Of an argu-
ment by saying his opponent did not
do him the honor Co listen TO what
be said," and then goes ahead and
says it differently; and who whispers
in your ear when there is
nobody within 40 blocks who could
possibly hear-that such 4 parsOn had
been a senate page-or a senator. !