The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-02-06
fleCtor Hopkins Write
Washington Letter
DISAPPOINTED IN APPEARANCE
OF LAvfNAkERs-sEEs UNCLE
~ JOE, CHAMP CLARK AND
BLIND CHAPLAIN.

~ JOE, CHAMP CLARK AND
BLIND CHAPLAIN.
Washington, D. c., Jan. ~, 1918
don't suppose members Of congress
as rule. are burdened with an over.
stock Of piety, at any rate. observ
ed this, when the House OF Represen'
tatives convened the other day.
Up to five minutes before midday,
the time of meeting, there was not a
handful of NJ. C's. an the floor. Just
as the two hands of the big clock
pointed to II, the blind chaplain, Rev.
Henry N. Condor, D. D., cane in nand,
was escorted to the clerks desk, by a
young man. The mace was put in
place, on the marble pedestal at the
speakers right. Champ Clark ascend.
ed to his desk and giving one sharp
stroke with the gavel said, "the
house will be in order, and the chap
lain offer prayer"
Every one rose, and it was very
quiet while Rev. Condor made brief
and most earnest prayer. The instant
he said amen" however, the hubbub
commenced and simultaneously the
members began to come in and in two
or three minutes, instead Of a dozen
or two being present, several hundred
of our lawmakers were at their desks
seemingly relieved, that the short re-
ligious exercises were concluded.
In a loud and expressionless voice
the clerk read the proceedings Of the
previous day, while everybody was
talking aloud. The morning hour" be
gan, the official shorthand reporters
note book in hand followed the speak.
ers about that they might not lose a
word for record in the Record.
The son-in-law OF the most promin
ent HBull-Mooser" was absent from
his desk, as was also the Hon. Senator
Payne of Auburn, N. Y, former re-
publican house leader and the only
one of the ex-prominent republican
members present was ex-Speaker Can
non, who seemed fatigued and indif
ferent and sat idly drumming his fng
ers on the desk before him, minus
the usual pink carnation at the lape
OF his coat likewise the big black ciga,
with which he is always caricatured.
The attentive colored men in the
cloak rooms plainly visible from the
galleries, are prompt to attend to 3
members wants, by way of whiskine
OF the dust from his apparel. and re-
lievlhg him Of hat and coat. The in
stant he comes in his topcoat Is peel
ed Oh, hat removed, and walking.sttcl
or umbrella taken. almost before be
has time TO turn around.
For lack Of room, the little pages
who formerly, waited around the
CLERKS desk for congressional hand
claps, are now relegated to the two
corners on tho north side Of the cham
her and during the short recess OF
congress changes are to be made in
the seating capacity.
The present House of Representa-
tives has 396 members, but the new
House will have 435 and to accommo
date them all benches are to take the
place of desks and chairs, like the
English House of Parliament. 1t is
expected to cost $4,000 and will have
to be quick work, as it must be done
Immediately after this 62nd Congress
adjourns on March 4th and before the
extra session convenes, which Presi-
dent-Elect Woodrow Wilson is expect.
ed to call. This new seating arrange
ment Is to be a sort Of experiment, and
if liked, will be made permanent.
Hon. J. Fitzgerald Of Brooklyn.
chairman Of the committee who pre-.
sented the resolutions, stated there
would be tables placed in the space
before the Speakers desk for the use
Of those members who had bills under
consideration for the accommodation
of their papers.
It is expected that Elliott Words,
superintendent of buildings will get
his men at work on the change, five
minutes after noon on March 4, 1913.
Louis Hopkins, Elector.
Choice Northern Spy and Bald
win Apples, only $1.25 per box, at the
Farmers Mercantile Co. 2-3-12d-2w