Evening journal., 1911-12-04
Senate AdjOurnS After Brief
Session Until Tomorrow
Afternoon
GALLERIES CROWDED
On THE OPENING DAY
BY The United Press.

first session Of the Sixty-second Con-
gress opened for business at precisely
- o'clock today
Galleries were, as usual, filled to the
limit with spectators Feminine rela-
tives OF the members and lights Of
society made respondent display
Of the latest in winter fashions, gay
gowns provided especially for this oc-
casion and for society functions to
follow. About S5 per cent. OF the men,
bers observed the custom Of states
men by wearing brand new suits.
For Washington It was the annual
gala day, second only to Inauguration
day, and the townspeople awakened
from the lethargy OF vacation time.
Hotels and rooming houses have been
for weeks in a disordered state from
the activities Of plumbers, paper
hangers, painters and scrubwomen.
The approaching arrival of nearly 500
statesmen, an army Of employees and
the crowd OF smOOth-looking gentle
men i'm constant attendance through
out sessions of Congress, behoOved the
commercial hosts TO make alluring the
quarters for prospective guests.
On the floors of the Senate and
House. members were busy shaking
hands with one another and felicitat-
ing their friends and other survivors
of the torrid special session Of last
lff Ia. fsftIr a..
reunion Of year ago there was an
absence of gloom. Then, IL was, that
about l25 members of the Senate and
House came from the November bat
ties, wherein they were shot from
their perches in the halls OF fame. To-
day they were in aerial spirits, beam
ing and cheerful Later scores of them
will prance through tho stately halls
Of the Capitol with wrinkled hrows
and nerves ON edge as they look for
ward to the elections of next year.
Records made during the session will
boost or blast the ambitions Of all
the members of the House and of 81
Senators who will be returned or
dropped out by the sovereign citizen
when ne goes to the polls next No
vembor
Confronted with the weightiest
questions of public policy, the Demo-
| cratic House of Representatives met
/ to prepare itself for what promises
/ to be. one of the most important ses-
sions of Congress IN the last half
century.
With a prospective candidate for
the Presidency. Champ Clark at the
| Speakers desk the House came tC
order at noon. the floor filled with a
fair attendance of both Democratic
and Republican members. The right
side Of the center aisle, where the
Democrats sit was well filed and the
Republican side Of the House was be.
sprlnkled with members Of the minor
ity.
The whole House settled down to
business, despite the evident formal
ity Of the occasion. with seemingly
deep regard for the sessions pros
! poets. With the tariff legislation and
the antitrust law widely agitated a
strenuous session for the lower body
of the national legislature is assured
Minority Leader Jim Mann, OF H.
/ linois, took his place at the left of the
dividing center aisle without. ostenta-
tion but with a serious air that be-
tokened trouble from the majority
Mann carried his usual bundle of doc
uments bills and reports, aud he in
dicated his usual attitude, a feeling of
disdain for the Democratic side.
Crowded galleries greeted Champ
Clark with a round Of applause as he
meeting OF the session to order. He
netting of the session to order. He
bowed to the right and left, nodding
pleasantly to his friends on the floor
as he pounded the marble desk with
his gavel A hush fell over the cham
her as the Chaplain of the House, the
\ Rev. Henry n. Couden arose to pray.
AS the blind chaplain implored the
blessing OF the Almighty upon the
gathering, its accomplishments and its
aims. hush fell upon the crowd Az
the conclusion of the prayer Speaker
Clark arose in his place. The babble
of whispers that followed the Chap
lain's prayer was silenced as he an
nounced:
The clerk will call the roll OF the
states to ascertain the presence Of a
quorum"
Then the whispered murmur broke
forth again as the clerk began the
lengthy proceeding of calling the roll
by states. The roll disclosed the pres
encc of a quorum and the new mem
hers OF the House, chosen at the fall
election, were sworn in. The clerk was
instructed to inform the Senate that
the House was in session. and a com
mittee was appointed TO join the Sen
ate committee i'm notifying the Presi-
dent that Congress had assembled
Thereupon the House. out of re.
speCt TO the memory OF the late Rep.
resntatiye Madison Of Kansas, ad-
iourned.
Senate Gets 20 Work.
On the dot Of 10 o'clock. Vice Presi
dent Sherman. Immediately dressed
entered at a door beside the elevate
chair and desk at his official static.
and a moment later. tapped for order
Senators arose for prayer. the frs
number on the program. by the Chap
lain Of the Senate, the Rev. Ulysses G
b. Pierce, pastor of the church o.
which President Taft is a member.
Nice-President Sherman directed th-
Secretary to call the roll. AT the clos'
a number of members arose to eX
plain tho absence of missing col
leagues. Sherman announced that
quorum was present
. Then came the business of appoint
ing two Senators, 10 act with a com
mite of the House, in informing Pres
ident Taft that a quorum Of bOtl
Houses was assembled and that Con
gress is ready to receive any com
munication he may be pleased Z,
I | mako % Tho cacrntnrt. me- lf--.4.a A.