Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-03-09

is the hero Of young America you
should watch boys in the senate gallar-
les as they look down on the floor
Their eyes are not for the dignified
trainers of statutes; they seldom> see
the vice president, the cynosure for
older folks. They care not whether the
senate runs at all, except If it should
stop their privilege of watching the
sixteen lads who hustle here and there
about the chamber caring for the needs
Of the distinguished statesmen, would
end & |s- p
These sixteen boys in the senate and
forty four in the house carry grave re-
spons1biiities, for. is 1t not decidedly
important matter that the legislative
business of the nation be facilitated?
So important have they become that
they are called the wings of Con-
gress." .v.
The pages are typical OF bright,
quick, intelligent and ambitious Amer
lean sboyhood. They are carefully
chosen. There is no room for the slug
gard, one inattentive to details, one
lacking in courtesy. They are straight
forward and truthful. They are manly.
Those that by any chance are recon-
and who do not live up to the high
standards set for them Immediately are
dismissed from service. A trust imposed
must be fulfilled. That's the underly-
mig stimulus to their effort, and, as one
member of the senate once remarked:
',Ehose little chaps are marvels. They
never fall Never" E&s5
The pages of the senate have been
the, center of chief interest thru the
years. Their very lives and their work
stirs the pride of their elders. iE
These lads who are and have been
permitted to associate with men whose
names have been deeply etched on the
tablets Of American history, come from
various sections of the country. More
often, however, are they selected from
Washington, because many parents or
kinfolk fear the dangers involved in
permitting boy OF their age to remain
away so long under strange guardian
ship. However. whether they be from
WASHINGTON or elsewhere these lads
are treated alike and protected and
guided with fond care by officials who
are entrusted with directing their eff
forts. They are encouraged to study
whenever" possible and so to night
school if no other means Of education
Is available Dignified senators have
taken many lads under their protective
living and assisted them with their
early education, and-not infrequently.
they have placed means at their dis
posal whereby they have been per-
mftted broader learning in advanced
schools ( and universities. Everyone
about the great capitol building extends
helping hand to the pages and the
best that is in them Is encouraged.
These boys never are flunkeys as some
folks have often thought. They are
/ little princes and the better the prince
the greater his court composed as 1t Is
Of vice presidents, speakers, senator's,
representatives and mon high in the
| government service. q
The pages Of the senate are forced
/ to report for duty at 9#o'cloek every;
morning. They must be neat, theirs
shoes must be polished, their clothes.
clean. and hair carefully combed. Dirty
hands or face invariably bring the
page possessing them into bad repute,7
even among his fellows. They are. as
senlbled by their superior officer. guar
dian, champion ant. Al s11fttor. Edwin A.
Halsey, and If theregbe anything wrong
single one he is reminded that those
things amiss should be at once rem.
edied. The pages from the time they
report up until the noon hour when
they take their places around the dias
Of the vice president perform little
Jobs about the senate. Each lad has
six senators he most care for. The pen-
ellis, pens and papers OF the statesmen
must be neatly arranged In anticipa-s
ton Of the opening OF the session. The
Congressional Record and all bills and
resolutions Of the preceding day are
placed upon senators deskss so that
these men will not be forced to waste
time In obtaining such things as they
may be interested In, or used. The
gavel OF the vice president, the care Of
which Is entrusted to the pages after
the close OF each session, must be in
its proper place. To have q senator
ask Of his page why this thing or that
has not been done, is deemed q dis
grace by these lads who are so COM
pie; ely bent on eniciency. When, the
sessions actually start at noon and the
senate goes about its way caring for
! the business confronting such body.
the boys spend their busiest hours A
adignifled lawmaker may be in the midst
of long speech. He may badly want
a book OF reference Al signal brings
a page to his side instantly. The time
1t takes to perform the mission is
short Pages hurry. "A senator ct any
part OF the chamber may have page
at his side in an instant by clapping
his hands, a custom handed down from
the oriental times, or by slightly tap
Iping his desk with q pencil. Pages
always are alert to perform some little
task. A senator naycTz Illa5 81 1be forced
to walt s5si
~ tier the ess!es has d5ourned the
pages go about carefully cleaning up.
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