Show WASHINGTON JOTTINGS T I was present today at the thi opening of Congress and heard the announcement of the vote electing the Hon Tom Reed republican au Speaker of the House He He had 16 votes while Carlisle democrat had and one candidate received one on vote Some thought he voted for foi himself but he didn't didn t The Chair appointed Carlisle and McKinley the latter being the next most I favored candidate at the republican I caucus to lead the Speaker Speaker- Speaker Speaker- Speaker elect I elect to the chair They had hadI I to fetch him from one of the Committee rooms and he had the appearance of a giant as they led him up the aisle He was then f sworn in and made a speech short and t t- t the point Mr Reed Beed speaks of voice and with in a clear tone L very little nasal accent He comes I from Maine is of colossal form and 1 like a cross between Robert Ingersoll and Prof Lewis with a little of the weight of the much respected Judge Wright to grace the f combination It is said that he is isa 1 L a tornado in debate placid as he ap ap- appears appears appears pears in the chair and has figur figur- figuratively figuratively figuratively made wade many of the members feel fee his oratorical weight upon their 7 political corns f The members were next sworn r in in squads of about twenty at a r time the representatives from the Y t new States causing a ripple of ot ex- ex excitement excitement ex excitement as they approached the Speakers Speaker's desk The representatives representatives representatives Wyom- Wyom tives from Arizona Idaho Wyom Wyom- Wyoming d ding Wyoming ing and Utah formed a lonesome looking quartette but Dut the Hon John T r 1 Caine Vaine was as gra graceful a gentleman as any that appeared on the floor He looked dignified enough for a senator and I could not help picturing in my mind Utah as asa asa asa a State with some of our most able citizens on the floors of both Houses God speed the day when t territorial vassalage shall shaJI cease in Inthe inthe the United States I It t Ie is believed that McKinley Me Kinley will willbe rw be appointed chairman of ways and t means committee and Cannon of appropriations of which H derson will boa be a member He i headed long headed Scotchman and prefers to be next to the funds as there is ismore ismore h more influence in that capacity than any in Congress as well as everywhere every every- everywhere everywhere where else eIse Senator the Edmunds-the Edmunds the favorite in was Utah Utah was chairman of the com om committee committee to wait upon the President and inform him of the organization The country will doubtless have f been telegraphically submerged with the Presidents President's message before this reaches you The republicans will it sublime while the f v pronounce democrats will speak of or it as so so When the republican majority was wasE E shown by the election of Mr Reed ro- ro for Speaker there was a burst of applause applause on the left of the House The The democrats who were in the majority last time did not look quite r so 80 enthusiastic but they accept the f situation in hopes for the future based on the recent election in sev- sev several sev several i eral States showing democratic vic vie victories tories tortes almost unexpected This city is la swarmed with con con- cont coni t i Eft x t gressmen lawyers lobbyists and vIsitors with axes to grind on the congressional stone Veterans with limbless sleeves and going on crutches are as thick as liberal colonists before an election Changes in the pension laws are an- an anticipated anticipated an anticipated and everybody who has ever heard a gun go off expects to draw lacteal nutriment from the breasts of the government during the rest of his bis natural life On Thanksgiving Day I attended the Covenant Church and put my mite into the same contribution basket with President Harrison His 20 bill was doubtless more ac- ac acceptable acceptable ac acceptable than my quarter but nobody quibbled about the discrepancy discrepancy discrepancy ancy We had a scientific sermon from the Rev Bev Dr Bartlett of the New York A Avenue venue Church He gave us some oratorical touches w which remi reminded me of Brother Bywater and showed his familiar familiar- familiarity familiarity familiarity ity with science and history as aswell aswell well as common sense His i text was Today if ye will hear My voice Among other good things in speaking of keeping in communication with the Almighty he said Did God speak to Moses on Sinai and at Calvary and has He nothing to say to this great nation If He spoke on Sinai it was as the sounding of the pipe while today it is the full organ Then it was the notes of the lute but now He gives us the full orches orches- orchestra orchestra orchestra tra Today He touches with His mighty hand band the whole gamut from the bass to the soprano All AU we have to do is to keep our auditory faculties in condition to receive the swell swe of the music Revelation aswell as aswell well as other Mormon doctrines is becoming a popular theme und under r the cover of sectarian oratory Some portions of his discourse were quite humorous and elicited smUts smiles from the congregation Imagine magine I such sacrilege e would have horrified the Pr Presbyterians of another age But now common commonsense commonsense sense is largely taking the place of pharisaical sanctimony and poor humanity is not expected to crucify itself on Sunday that it may be laved ved the rest of the week even in inthe inthe inthe the Church of the Coven Covenant nt A son of Sherman is lec lec- lecturing lecturing lecturing turing here He is a Roman Boman Cath Cath- Catholic Catholic Catholic olic and is advertised as the Rev Hev Father Sherman He addressed an audience lately in the Catholic U Uni University University ni Just dedicated Churches are as frequent here as drug stores Ina in ina ina a prohibition State and people can get any kind of religion they want to pay for from the mass that com com- commences commences commences at in the morning on great days and lasts till 11 to the colored Methodists who Cf convert sin sin- sin sinners ners at several everal meetings every Sun Sun- Sunday Sunday Sunday day and take up three collections at every the meeting meeting the dark man thus financially as well as phy phy- physically physically his white brother whose re- re religious religious re religious proclivities he duplicate But I must now close and tell your readers about the great institution institution institution tion known as the General Land Offic in another letter C W STAYNER W WASHINGTON D C G Dec 2nd 1889 |