Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1893 — CONGRESS IS OPENED. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS IS OPENED.

FIFTY-THIRD SESSION PROMISES TO BE LIVELY. Tariff, Silver, and Hawaii Among the Topic* to Come Up—Gallerie* Crowded by Society People-Incident* In the Sonate and House. Scenes on the First Day. Washington correspondence:

THE 53d Congress is now in regular session assembled. The stars and stripes float over each end of the V* capitol—which sig||l nines that both Pi houses are doing «¥ business at tho old Sffl. stand. The assemSgFj bling of the great joint body was,comparatively speak!wA .inar. commonplace. The interest which ||Fjjrr attaches to such an ''ll ((event was less hell , cause the extra session had taken the

edge off the appetite of curiosity. Nevertheless there was plenty to interest the stranger. He who is present for the first time at an opening of Congress sees below him the men who make the wheels of the nation go round, as it were. He feels that he is at the fountain head of things. He realizes that he is in the midst of big affairs and he is pleased. He has, of course, read cf Congress. To be in its presence, to see it work, to appreciate that here are born measures which grow into laws and dominate the nation, begets a new sensation. He can't help feeling impressed. It is for that reason every one of the several thousand in the galleries pays close attention to all that is done; "for that reason that the thousands in the corridors stand there, the patient ones hoping that in some way they may get in, the impatient struggling, pushing and elbowing, hut with no better result. The crowds in the galleries on opening day are always of a higher order than at any other time. No one is admitted except by ticket; and tickets are obtainabi: from members only, unless some recipient sees fit to give his pasteboard away. There are always many women in the galleries. And most of them wear their best attiro. The Senate is deemed, and is, the more exclusive body. And the very nobbiest of the nots go there, and for form's sake are bored as they watch the slow coaches, while all the time could they but disguise ’ themselves they would much rather be in the House. But lots of nobs, women as well as men, select the House and go there early. They will, at least many of them, come often during this first session of Congress. Much for Congress to Do. Though this session is regular there are many reasons for believing that it will be extraordinary as well. There are bills of groat importance to pass, bills which will give birth not to pure debate alone but to ill-feeling, anger in some instances, probably, and repartee swiftly developing into blunt contradiction, Somo of the debates will furnish a good education in statesmanship before she session is over. The tariff question will bo discussed from A to Z and back again. A great many have already prepared speeches on it. The rest will either prepare them or speak on the spur of the moment. “And I wish the majority would be impaled on the spur,” said a correspondent who has listened to the tariff debate for lo! these many years. Then there is the silver question. One might think that the people had had enough of silver talk and be forgiven for the thought. But not so Brother Bland. He believes that prosperity will never come till the country has free silver. He will seek to obtain the sanction of Congress for free coinage at every opportunity. Then there is the Hawaiian incident, which will serve for discussion. Republicans view it greeiily, and they are licking their chops in anticipation of tho feast. How they will hold the Democratic party, and the administration in particular, up to scorn! How they will tear Secretary Gresham’s letter to Cleveland' How they will rip up the back any reference the President may make to it! And then the war of words. For the Democrats will talk back. Scenes In the House. The chief interest centered in the House on opening day. The scene in the Senate is very respectable; but the scene in tho House is breezier. There is more life in the House. The blood pulses faster. The members are moro apt to do things; and incidents are more likely to happen. The galleries were packed long before a corporal's guard of members appeared on the floor. All but the press gallery. That didn't fill till a few moments before the clock told that the hour of 12 o’clock had come. Then that gallery also was full. In it were correspondents representing almost every newspaper of importance in the country, several representing Canadian papers and a few papers across the Atlantic. As the boyish chaplain rose to offer prayer a stillness fell upon tho House, and from the rooms back of the press galleries came the tick, tick, tick of the telegraph sending the stories of the scenes within the hall throughout the length and breadth of the land. The chaplain’s prayer over, the hubbub of conversation rose from the arena and was augmented by the comment in the galleries. At 1:35 p. m. Executive Clerk Pruden appeared in the House and delivered the President’s message, which tho clerk was directed by the Speaker to read. Meeting of tho Senate. The assembling of tho Senate was tame. That is not surprising. It is invariably tame. The galleries were filled, of course. They are always filled on the first day. This is'due partly to the p:e once cf the families of the Senators, but mostly to tho overflow from the House. Tnere is very little to attract the Washingtonian to the Senate, save when some prominent Senator is to speak or some vote on an important question is to be taken. The Senators file in, or rather come in, on the first day just as they do on every other day.