Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-03
THE POWER OF THE MACE
BY FREDERIC ]. HAsKrN.

together, the whole surmounted BY the
head of the American eagle.
whenever disorder breaks out on the
floor of the House of Representatives,
or of any parliamentary body, the
Speaker calls for the mace. Ine
holds It before him In present arms
manner and, standing stately before
the disorderly members, bids them De
decurous, In the name of the state.
A quarter of = century ago or g
an acrimonious debate was IN progress
on the floor. Two members reached
pitch of anger at which they resorte9
to their fists and the Speaker cSneo
for the mace to quell 50 unseemiy -
disturbance. Now It seems that 6ne
sergeant at arms was not present. But
there was n raw youth rom Soms
western State who Very recently hso
been appointed, by political influence,
q deputy sergeant at arms. He nao
barely come to town and knew scarceiy
anything Of his duties.
Origin Of the Mace.
It Is rare, indeed. that even the
sergeant at arms himself ever Is cameo
upon to present the mace, 80 for this
raw deputy the job was one in which
he was utterly unSchooled. He dashed
into the hall, the Speaker showed NM
the mace behind his chair and ne
seized it. It looked like stout weapon
and he especially noticed the sharp
beak of the American eagle protrudlng
from the upper end. Holding II nanu-.
ily. but totally without the dignity ior
which the ceremony cried ALOUD, tne
deputy rushed down the aisle 70 tne
still lighting members, thrust FORWARD
his weapon and yelled: Now quiz OF
: Needless to add that the very fantasy
of the situation stopped the oeulgcrenLs
in their tracks and ended the dlsoroeI,
save for the gales Of laughter ana the
bewildered discontinue Of the deputy.
It is doubtful however, whether Lne
mace ever was more effectively invoked
Civic and ceremonial maces nave n
ironical origin. They originally were
weapons for use in battle and designed
especially for the fighting bishops OF the
middle ages. The great reigning psnopS
went into battle like any other I1otaoies,
but the canonical Law forbade a priest.
to shed blood. This ruled out the sword
or the lance. Nothing was said In the
Law, however, against knocking man
such blow with heavy mass OF metal
that It made no differences 70 MN
whether his blood was shed or not. The
mace is the original blunt instrument
Maces were used by others as wen as
bishops. for they were extremely effec-
tive. Richard Occur de Lion used one
habitualIy and the earthly troubles OF
any one who ever got in the way Of
Richards mace were over forever.
Having, therefore, ecclesiastical sane
ton and background. it was natural
that so dignified and blessed weapon,
rather than sword, should be adopted
as symbol of the crushing dignity OF
the state.
When Oliver Cromwell took over the
British government, beheading Charles
I. he did not like the design Of the mace
then in use in the Commons. It was
ornamented with symbols OF royalty.
Take away that bauble," he ordered.
Thomas Maundy, who made many maces
for cities of the period, made new
mace to symbolic the ascendancy OF
the Parliament which then ruled. That
is the mace still in use, the one which
Mr. Beckett started to march on with
the other day. After the restoration OF
Charles II, new head was put upon
the shaft, replacing the parliamentary
symbol with royal ones again. Mr..
Beckett is the first man in 800 years
who has dared 10 desecrate that mace.