Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-12-04
R[A5sEMBL|NG
QFC0NGREss.
I
Galleries Crowded. Usual Scenes
OF Members Greeting One An
other.
GALA DAY IN WASHINGTON.
,r,,,t R,ut.nc business OF Opening
Eay-PreparatIonS For an important
& Sessio:s-Majurity and Min"rft! Head
crs at Posts.
crs at Post :.

crs at Posts.
Washington. December 4.---Nits
the thump OF an ivory handled gave
in the good right hand OF Speaker
.champ clark and the polite tapping
of his desk by Vice-President Shef
man The first session OF the h2nt
Congress opened for business at pre-
ciscly l2 o'clock today.
Galleries were. as usual, hlled WIN
srectators. Feminine relatives oil the
members. and lights OF society, MAGE
a resplendcnt display Of The latest IL
winter fashions, gay gowns provided
especially for this occasion ana io'
society functions to follow Aboa'
S5 per cent Of the members observed
the custom OF statesmen By wearlhG
brand-new suits.
For Washington. it was the annuai
gala day. second only to inauguration
day. and the townspeopla awakened
from the legarthy Of vacation time
Hotels and rooming houses have been
for weeks in a disordcred state from
the activities Of plumbers. pape!
hangers. painters and scrubwomen'
The approaching arrival OF nearly
600 statesmen. an army OF employees
and the crowd OF smoolh-looking gen
tlemen in constant attendance
throughout sessions OF Congress. be-
hoored the commercial hosts to make
;,jluring .he quarters for prospective
guests.
On the ilJors OF the Senate ana
House. members were busy shaking
hands with ono another and felicitat-
.;7l; tir.rfricnds md other survivors
81 rne torrtd special session OF last
summer. In striking contrast to the
rernion or year ago there was an
absence OF gloom. Then. II was. that
about ,o5 members Of The Senate and
House came from tho November bat
,les wherein they were shot from
,heir perches in the halls, OF Tame.
Today they were III aerial spiflls,
beaming and cheerful! Later scores
of them will prancc through the
stately halls OF the Capitol WITH
wrlnkled brcwS and nerves cn edge.
as they look forward 10 the elections
or next year. Records made during
Tho session will boost OF blast the
ambitions OF all the members OF the
House ana Of - Senators. who will
be returned or dropped out ny the
sovereign citizen when he goes 10
the polls next November.
Confronted with the wcIghiiest
gucslions ci public policy. the Dem
ocra!ic House OF Representatives met
10 prepare itself for what promises
10 be one nf the most Important scS-
.ions Of Congress in the last half
century.
The whole House settled do|n TO
business. despite the evident formal-
itv OF the occasion. with Il seemingly
deep regard for the sessions pros
poets. With the tariff legislation.
and the antitrust law widely agttat-
ed Il strenuous session for the low
cr body Of the national legislature
is assured
Minority Leader Jim" Mann. OF
Illinois. took his place at the left oI
The dividing center aisle without oS
t,ntaliou. but with a serious air that
betokened trouble for the majority
Mann carried his usual bundle OF doc
umcnts, bills. and reports. and he in
dicated his usual attitude Il feeling
OF disdain for the Democratic side.
Crowded galleries greeted ChamI
Clark with round OF applause as NJ
asccnded the rostrum to call the mrs
meeting OF the session TO order. liz
bowed TO the right and left, noddint
pleasantly TO his friends on the tioo)
as he pounded The marble desk will
his gayel. \ hush fell over the cham
Der rs ;hr Chaplain OF the House
the Rev. Henry y. Couden, arose 4
pray. AS the hlind chaplain implore'
the blessings OF The Almighty upol
the gathering. its accomplishment
and its aims. Il hush fell upon til
crowd. AT the conclusion Of tn
prayer Speaker Clark arose in hi
place. The babble OF whispers tha
followed the Chaplain's prayer wa
silencod as he announced:
The Clerk will call the roll Of tn
states TO ascertain the presence OF
quorum.