The Colorado statesman., 1923-03-17

Its travels. some members hOmewnrd
bound and some winter resort bound.
but all rest bound. What happens TO
the city of Washington when congress
is not ia session? Well. the city gets
rest, but 1t does not like II. for busi-
ness falls off when congress is away
and even the capital of the nation likes
both the appearance and the fact OF
financial prosperity.
The big building on the hill. the
capitol Of the United States, remains
open all through the vacations of con-
gress. The great American slghtseer
must not be denied the privilege OF
gazing on the scenes where the solons,
for that IS what at times they are po-
litely called. sit and legislnte.
Things happen to the capitol, how
ever, when congress is away. Every
day In the year 1t gets a surface clean
Ing, inside at any rate. but In vacation
time 1t comes In for what the small
boy and perhaps some men call "a reg
ular Saturday night soak"
. The capitol is a huge building. II
Is about one-seventh of a mile long
and ii has subterranean rooms and at
tic rooms, midway rooms, great corri-
doris, galleries and great halls. 1t Is
some task to go over with paint brush,
with cleaning cloth or with some other
implement of cleanliness every foot OF
its flooring and of its walls, and every
nook. corner and knob of its elaborate
decorations.
Occasionally virtually all the furni-
ture in the halls OF congress is
changed; some of the old-tlme pieces
are kept because of their historic val
ue, but as everything in the capitol
except the pictures and the statuary
serve some utilitarlan purpose, the
wearing-out process goes on and the
replenishing process must follow.
1t costs good dea. os money to
keep the capitol clean and In repair,
but probably no American citizen who
has looked on the building will deny
that the money Is well spent, for the
structure, take 1t all In all, is per-
haps one of the most beautiful in the
world. Some people perhaps still
think that George Washington looked
upon the capitol of the United States.
He looked upon the cornerstone thereof
Later he saw the partly completed
building, but he never saw 1t in its en-
tirety as 1t stood until the great addi-
tions were made to 1t In the years be-
tween 1850 and 1860.
The capitol does not close up shop
when congress does. Its document
rooms and its general offices must be
kept open because 1t does not follow
because Of the mere fact legislator
is at distance he may not need in
formation or printed matter of some
kind to use in his speeches or In his
writings, while he is still keeping up
the semblance at least of being deeply
interested in the affairs Of his country
The press galleries of congress are
open all through the vacations, but
newspaper men rarely go near them.
The house and senate press galleries
which are thronged with writer's dur
ing the sessions are for the main part
as empty during the vacation season
as June birds nest is IN December.
There is silence where there was
noise. and perhaps 1t is wicked to say
there Is peace where there was tur-
moil.
Must Be Carefully Guarded.
The capitol must be guarded at all
times, guarded watchfully against fire
whether congress is In session or not,
and guarded particularly against
thieves and even destructionists when
the place is alive with activities and
with the presence of the lawmakers.
Americans forget readily. How many
are there who remember that only a
few years ago an anarchist exploded
a bomb in the senate wing of the cap
ito? There are still to be seen marks
of the fragments of the internal ma
chine which the destructionist dis.
charged.
Today no visitor to the gallery of
either house of congress may carry
bundle to his seat with him A lesson
once taught to the guards of u great
institution like this is lesson that
Is never forgotten. II some woman
trying to enter the public gallery of
the senate today becomes indignant
because a small package of luncheon
which she has under her arm Is taken
away from her, she must lay the blame
for her discontinue on the man who
some years ago tried to blow up
part of this building whose cornerstone
was laid by George Washington.
The congress Is going. the President
is going, the vice president is going,
and many OF the cabinet officers are
going. and so perhaps with due regard
for the greatness of American law
makers 1t sho"ld be said In addressing
the capital city "Thy glory has de-
pcrted," but then maybe 1t has not de-
parted, for the city of Washington
architecturally and In Its site Is
glory unto itself.