Evening star., 1931-11-29

side the Speakers chair on Monday, December
T. his act will not only mark the beginning OF
a new Congress but also the ninetieth consec-
utive year that this particular mace has served
the House.
Political writer's have predicted that the in
coming Congress will be stormy one. 1t is
altogether probable that there will be tenn
pestuous outburstS now and then, but little or
no harm can come of them, for the House of
Representatives, the largest body of the Con-
gress realized early in it's existence that it must
take precaution to curb any noise, act or word
likely to bring about state of disorder. With
this end in view the Congress provided for
sergeant at arms to preserve order on the floor
of the House and in 1889 the mace was desig-
mated as his symbol of Office to be borne by
him while enforcing order on the floor OF the
House. That was 143 years ago.
Whenever, as seldom happens, the House
becomes unruly and beyond the Speakers
control, the Speaker requests the sergeant at
arms to restore order. This officer then lifts
the mace from its pedestal and walks up and
down the aisleS of the hall with it. So great
is the respect for this silent symbol of legsla-
tive authority that it brings the most incorrigi-
BILE member to his senses Immediately and utter
silence prevails throughout the House. Never
once in the history of the Republic has it failed
Usually when a member becomes contentious
and excited he can be Gained simply by the
sergeant at arms touching him the shoulder
or merely standing beside his chair without the
mace.
Although the mace is always in plain sight
when the House is in session, it is seldom indeed
that it has to be reSorted to for disciplinary
purposes William Tyler Page, the clerk of the
House. says. During my SO years service at the
Capitol the mace has not been used more than
a dozen times to enforce order, and in each
instance order was Immediately restored"
The first mace of the House of Representa-
tives was adopted April 4, 1889. 1t was about
three feet long and consisted of 13 ebony rods
representing the 13 original colonies bound to-
gether with transverse bands of silver in imita-
ton of the thongs that bound the fasceS of
ancient Rome. The shaft was surmounted by a
globe of solid silver about five inches in diam
eter, upon which rested massive eagle richly
carved of solid silver; although the eagles
wings were outspread he grasped the globe
firmy with his claws This mace was destroyed
in 1914 For % years thereafter a mace of
painted pine wood was used, until the con-
gressional session of 1841-42, 90 years ago, when
the present mace was procured, which is
replica of the one destroyed by the British
without the mace or an authorized subSti-
tute, Congress cannot officially convene. When
the House Is called to order each day the SER
geant at arms marches up the aisle with the
mace and places it in an upright position on
cylindrical pedestal of polished green marble.
After this bit of pageantry, the House is con-
Sidered legally in session. Each day when the
House adjourns the sergeant takes the mace
back to his Office where it is kept behind locked
doors until the House meets again.
The sergeant at arms carries the great mace
on the opening day of Congress. but each day
thereafter the duty is assigned to a deputy.
For the last II years the mace has been cared