The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-25

long DlOck away
 Eds0n from the capitol itself, are usually empty. You could drive load of hay down any of them without worrying about run ming over women and children. But on big debate days, people plod like lost souls through the miles of cor riders, hopefully, grin1ly looking for the office of a friendly senator who will give them passes to the re- served section of the gallery.
 Characters you see in Galbraith's Side Chances" Women. mostly middle e-aged women, explaining to each other that they've always been interested in politics. That's why they're here. A few old men. A few zealots who know what it's all about. But mostly just people. Curious. f@ AN OLD STORY
 TO CAPITOL COPS
 Back in the Capitol building again you watch inadequate elevators lift the crowd by sixes and eights up to the Senate floor level. Then the long climb up the marble stairs to the ornate heaven that is the gall lery. While elevators reserved !. flor senators only" stand idle.
 Doorkeepers and cops herd the crowd, like cattle into a corral at branding time. Waifs and strays are rounded up and. kept in line till there's a vacant chair. Its an old story to the capitol cops, who have heard so much oratory they'd well come a traffic assignment to the busiest corner in town, just to get some place where something hap pened which would be more ex- citing than saving democracy.
 Now and then a senator comes up to the gallery himself with a beaming constituent in his wake. And the senator himself makes sure that the constituent gets inside. That's a vote, come next election, and. more important than the few paragraphs missed from the logic of a Barkley or Clark. Besides, there will be other logic.
 The show starts at noon. Prayer. Roll call Appointments to confirm. Requests to have editorials from newspapers they should have read and spueeches they should have heard reprinted in the CongreS- sional Record where they won't be seen.
 Democracy at work. Democracy will be saved today.
 SENATOR'S LISTEN
 AS SENATOR'S SHOULD
 Then the main act comes on. MT. President (of the Senate), I ap- preach the discussion of this historic measure with profound apprecia- tion . :" for an hour and a half
 Senators sit in their red leather upholstered swivel chairs behind school-like desks in Semi-circular rows before the president. Re- publicans to his left, Democrats to his right. Some slouch. Some lean forward. Most listen intently, po- litely, looking like senators should. Some go on reading. They come and go. Page boys in blue serge knicker suits come and go. Messages. Calls to the corridor. WhisperingS, from one senator to his neighbor. Some move to other seats, to hear better. But nothing stops the speaker. No loud speaker system here, just old- fashioned oratory, where they yell it out and wave their arms.
 No applause when a speaker fin- islieS. It's against the rules but when the gallery does break loose. the vice-president gets tough. No one realized he could be so tough
 Some senator suggests the absence of a quorum, and the roll is called That's to give everybody a breather. Senators crowd aroun dthe brow mopping speaker to congratulate him on his eloquence. Questions. Answers. More questions and an- swers. The speaker keeps the floor, yielding to questionerS. Democracy is at work today. Democracy is be- ing saved. 1 4
 PRINTED % NEXT DAY @
 Act II. Another speaker .. Lib erty is a Latin word; and it is worth thinking about because our liberties are challenged. The word comes from the Latin word .Liberi," which means 'chilEren'!".. .. For an hour and a half
 Mostly, the speakers read from prepared manuscripts for the main bod yof the argument. When they come to the conclusion, it's iii1- promptu or from memory with all stops pulled for a grand diapason.
 CongresSmen drift over from House of Representatives on the other side of the capitol, lining the back and sidewalks of the Senate floor to hear and see the fireworks.
 Act III. Another big gun un- limbers and SalvoS to a conclusion ". :. {. MT. President, I know that the future is dark, that the risks are great, the end uncertain. '. |. But if we go step by step, keeping the broad picture ahead of us, and in our hearts the firm resolve to keep our faces forward, never turn ing them to one or the other sire, or to the rear, that we shall be able to see our way through and help bring about better world"
 Senate Stenographers, working in shifts, take 1t all down in short hand, and it's printed in the Con- gressinoal Record next day. News paper reporters. working from their section of the gallery behind the ice-president. hit the highspots and weed out the non-essentials.
 The show IS over Eat s o'clock and 30 minutes D. in.," until tomorrow noon. Democracy will be at work again. Democracy will be saved again tomorrow.
 -----------.
 @-a ~ i .r'