The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1912-12-03
LAST SESSIONS
JOY AND REGRET
All Spectators Seats For Big
Capitol Show Are Taken.
GREETING AID GQODBY Time.
No Business For the Two Houses on the
First Day, Which Adjourn After Hav-
ing Been Informed Of Vice Persistent
Sherman's Death, but Great Crowd
Witnesses These Proceedings.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

the opening day Of session of con
gress, no matter whether 1t be the be
ginning of regular session or simply
the beginning of the last three months
of congressional term. There is
something fascinating about the be
ginning Of a new session of congress-
and there are none Of the habitues OF
the capitol who will miss it.
Greetings and Goodby.
The assembling Of the members for
the last session Of the Sixty-second
congress has many elements of joy
and sadness. There is JOY among men
who have been successful and because
their party has been successful, but
there are also heartaches on account of
the loss Of men who have been SC long
in the public service. 1t is a day of
greetings and goodby.
Making the Best of 1t.
There are fun and good nature, raillery
and repartee, and it is a good trait of
the true American spirit that every de
feated man. almost without exception.
Is making the best of it. He has to
stand the jokes and the condolences
which are often worse-of his fellow
men.
The grim face of Champ Clark is
sad as he mounts the speakers dais
He has lost the grand prize, of course
but the fellow who is not even com
ing back to congress thinks Champ is
pretty lucky in being sure of another
term in the house and the speakership
as we'll. The fellows who are clear
down and out think that man in
Champs place is not so very badly off.
It helps them to make the best of it to
see how hard Champ Gas been hit.
All In the PreIiminaries.
All interest in the assembling of the
present session is In the preliminaries.
In the greetings and the jovial good
fellowship displayed AS soon as the
gavels fall which call the two houses to-
gether the members must return to the
that death has postponed
all business. No business is transacted
On the first day. The two houses ar.
informed Of the death Of the vice presi
dent and of different members who
we're with them when they adjourned
last summer 1t does not take long to
attend to this business, although it Is
necessary to pass the usual formal
of Notification in order to
start the session on its business prop
srly.
The rolls in both houses are called
Ind the members respond to their
,ames. Then with the death an
the first day comes to all
md Everything is just as anticipated,
,ut everybody comes just the same,
md will come on the first day of every
session just as they have done since
here was capitol
Feeling Of ExuItation.
One cannot but detect the feeling of
which the Democrats feel
n the first day of the session in the
act that they have won great vic |
DRY and are soon to have control of |
he government. 1t means great deal
o them, more particularly those who
ave never been In congress when the |
Democrats controlled everything. With |
be exception Of about three men in |
be house and Ike number in the
enate, there are no members Of the
Democratic party who were in con
ress when the Democrats had control
every branch Of the federal govern
,ent, which will b tle case in a very |
ew months. No wonder they feel
retty good on their return from the
olling places. @s4#
Their Last Session.
Two snen attracted more than the
sual interest ia tie house as the mem.
srs get. They were Uncle Joe Cannon
nd John DalzeIl. They are two veter
rs who are entering upon the last ses-
on they will be in congress unless
ley should again be returned two
ears hence, Cannon has had thirty
ght years service in the house. be-
inning March, (, 1873, with two years
PERMISSION. DalzeIl las had twenty
Z years continuous service. /.
Three Twenty vetsraAs. L
Twenty years ago the Republicans
ected many men who seemed destin-
to serve as long as they lived. There
as large number that survived CAM
ign after Campaign, but now only
rec are left-Bartholdt of Missouri.
roper of Wisconsin and Gillett OF I
They will De meIabers !
the next congress
Explanation Bays"
rte greet burden of the reelected :
amber is that he must listen to the )
plantations OF the defeated for a.
EEK or ten days. The fellow who
ald not come bach thinkA that every
IN he meets should understand ex-
Iiy what happened and why be will 7
be member of the next congress, 5
the primary elections !,
oided the necessity OF snch explana- ,
MS In many cases. :