Americus daily recorder. (Americus, Ga.) 1884-1891, December 14, 1890, Image 7

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

THE MAGE OF THE HOUSE L ONE DAY ONLY. mericus, Tuesday, Dec. 16,:’90. ; T. K. BURK’S New -TranS'Atlantic - Rail - Road - Shows seua m uasrm^ ROMAIC HIPPODROME, JLXTJD * PROF BURK'S.WONDERFUL SCHOOL OF Educated - Arabian - Horses, (THIRTY IN NUMBER) FIFTY ARENIC STAR^. Two Performances. Doors open at 1 and ? P. M. GRANDSENTREE ONE HOURSLATER * POPULAR PRICES. 10 and 20 CENTS. Graml Street Parade at 12 Noon. Matinees Especially Desirable for Ladles and Children. Is Your Property I repreHent flrst-claHS companies and wlIT be pleased to pit. policies for you. LOTT WARREKT. Bank of Sumter Building. FOR v RENT! An excellant Truck nncl Dairy Farm, ouc-lialf mile from city, Apply to M. Callaway. - Real Estate Agent. IT IS NOT OFTEN USED* BUT IT IS A. VERY POTENT AFFAIR. The One Symbol of Absolute Power lu the United State*—It* History and Uses. Ita Keeper, the 8«rgeant-at-Arms, and Some of hi* Duties. [Special Correspondence.} Washington, Deo 11.—Only once since tills congress convened, more than a year ago, has the mace been called into use, and that was when the member from New Jersey reached for the nose of the member from Washington with his energetic fist. To most visitors to the honse of representatives-the mace is a The. People's. National. Bank. 8, Montgomery, President. J. (!. Honey, Vice President. John Windsor, Cashier. E. A. Hawkins, Attorney. H. C. Mitchell, Hook-keeper. ALL BUSINESS STRICTLY PRIVATE ! CAPITAL, $50,000. SURPLUS, $25,000. W.W. Wheeler & Co. a ’ nro now in their now qaarterr. HAND-MADE AND NORTHERN HARNESS BY THE WHOLESALE ANf RETAIL. CALL ANDSEE THEM. A Repairing a Specialty. They have also secured the services of First-class Shoemaker, Prices reasonable and Satisfaction Guaranteed REAL ESTATE BARGAINS. I offer for a few days the following desirable property clone in at k bargain: Four houses and lots, houses Just completed; 4 large rooms each; lots SOxlttt each. Terms Easy. One house and lot on College Hill, large lot 210x270, fronting two streets. The pret tiest horn* fn Americas. One bouse and lot on Jackson street, fronting the College. Large lot, li rooms to the comparatively new house with cook room and bath Louse attached, nice out house barn on the place. Call for bo8gaini. HUGH M. BROWN, 705 Jackson St.. : : Fifteen Shares Furniture Factory Stock for Hale A mericus Ca. FOR SALE AT A BARGAIN, Two Houses and|Lota on Forsyth Street, new; will give Terms. For other particulars <?all on w. id. Haynes tfc son, 5)3 Forsyth St., Reoorder Building. AMERICU8, GA. FIRE Hi LIFE E. REPRESENTS THE SAFEST k*0 STRONGEST COSPANIES IN THE WORLL. Insurance Placed on City and Country Property. Office on Jackson Street, two doors north of Telegraph Office. mchlMdwtf BUILDERS’ SUPPLY CO. HOUSES FOR RENT AND SALE ON THE INSTALL MENT PLANI lO] BToto Bouaoa Worn Roady, lantMitnld on In.UUm.nu. —Vacant lot. toilet, on tlmt.H FINE SHOW OASES -As Sjovsrsers Fmoga-— Also Wall and Prescription case*, C*d* ■gage, catalogue tree, .tiwicw < THE MACE AT REST. mystery. They see, standing upon n round marble block, at the right of the speaker's chair a contrivance which looks lilco a bundle of sticks, surmount ed by a ball and a bird. No one pays attention to this queer deYico. It is so seldom used and so often seen standing in its place that members and other habitues of tho hall appear to be un mindful of its existence. Tho stranger, however, rarely fails to ask what it is. Lucky, indeed, is tho visitor who sees tho maco in action. The mace is mighty when stirred to movement. It could not exert a more potent charm if it wero a heathen idol and the occu pants of tho floor its devotees. When the maco is taken down from its pedestal and carried upon tho floor the visitor may feel sure there is a crisis. There is extraordinary disorder, a fisticuff or a riot. As a rule, tho maco is not used more often than once a yfcar, l^nt its every appearance creates a sensation. There was never yet a man so bold as to dis pute right of way with the mace. All heads are bowed before it; all tongnes silent. And why not? It is the only royal insignia in this government It is the most potential instrument of cere mony or ensign of authority on this con tinent. Tho mace represents the maj esty of the American house of commons, and that means tho people. The ad miral of the navy may havo his flag and the general of tho army hia star, bat what are they if the body the mace rules does not support them? All honor, therefore, to the mace, and do not sneer at it becanso at first glance it appears a relic of ancient mummery, a meaningless, decorated stick. The pages lounge and play about its pedestal as if it were a piece of furniture, bat it Is really the one potential wand in this country, tho one inanimate object which typifire actual power. Compared to tho maco the gavel Is nothing. Thu gavel appoals for order. Tho mace enforces 1L Tho gavel is mere mallet, a sounding instrument, which may roar and pound end rattle in vain. The mace is a silent, majestic force which has bnt to bo seen and it is obeyed. A member may disregard the speaker and express contempt for his gavel, but the man who foiled to bow before the maco would endanger his right to sit in the house. Ho might even insult tho spoakor, for he is bnt an officer of the boose, its creature. The maco invariably commands his respect, for it is tho house itself. When the American congress first mot it was perceived that it should havo, in some form, a symbol which all men would hold In awo and reverence, and so a maco was fashioned of ebony, bound with silver, and surmounted by a silver globe and an eagle of solid gold. It was baptizifl, crowned nnd enthroned, and reigned supreme till tho British soldiers camo along in 1814 and burned tho Capi tol Then tho maco wasdestroyed. The solid gold eagle disappeared, and no THE MACE IN ACTION, doubt was carried away by aomo vandal soldier and sacrificed to cupidity and tho melting pot Unhappy fata of Maco II When tho honso next convened then was much consternation at tho absence of the godhead of parliamentary author ity. To meet the exigency a new god was quickly .created, a false god com pared to the thing of royal worth and beauty which had preceded it Maced wNa nothing but a piece of common pins wood, painted and stained in Imitation of ebony. This one reigned till than was time to procure soother of more eu- during material, and Mace Ed, which w« now. see in the boose, and which has been there for seventy-five year* or more, is cf as sterling worth as the first of its line. ‘ The mace has Its high priest in the person of the sergeant-at-arms. Every day at high noon, when the honse meets, this official enters the hall, bearing the symbol in hia hands, and places U upon its pedestal When the honse adjourns or takes a recess he carries it away to ita cloister. Sometimes he takes it away when the honse continues in session, or appears to do so, and this is something which the visitor cannot understand, Tho explanation iso simple one. Nearly every day tho honse resolves Itself into committee of the whole honse on the state of the Union. Usually on such oc casions tho speaker retires aftqr calling a incmlier to tho chair, thongh ho may preside if he wishes to dofo. Tho com mittee of the whole is not the honse of representatives, but what ita name in dicates, a simple committeo of which every member of the honse is a member, nnd consequently the maco has no proper place as a silent guardian of its delib erations. b <3 • When so ordered by the speaker the high priest of the mace lifts the ancient symbol from its place and carries it, held aloft, upon the floor among tho members. If there is disturbance there yon may lie suro it will quickly disap pear. This high priest of tho mace is also a sort of father confessor to the statesmen of the honse. Ah, if his secrets were un veiled what sensations there would be m tho land! Tho sergeant-at-arms has many delicate duties to perform besides that of polishing np tho gold eagle. Once in a session or so it happens that a call of tho roll failing to ‘disclose the presence of a quorum, tho sorgeant-at- amls is ordered to apprehend nbsent members and bring them before tho bar of tho house. Tho sorgeont-at-arms is supposed to know just where these de linquents are to bo found, nnd he nnd his assistants generally do know. A drinking saloon not far from tho Capi tol is usually drawn on for a limited number of statesmen. A few doors down Now Jersey ave nue. almost on tho site of tho first manor house erected in the Capital City, a select poker coterie, is occasionally in terrupted by tho knocking at tho door of tho sergeant-at-arms, la tho immediate neighborhood are two or three othor dens in which jack pots are onco in a while broken up by tho appearance of the officers of tho honse. Not many years ago three yonug statesmen were caught in a honso on this same avenne in an undignified hut not reprehensiblo plight. They wero whiling away the dull hours of an afternoon learning to New Firm. New Goods. New Quar TULLIS& McLendon DEALERS IN « 1 ** ' sp STOVES AND Best Qualities of Paints, Oils and Builders* Material Agents for the Celebrated HARVEST STOVES Ahd GRATES. Agents for the Celebrated Wheeler & Wilson Sewing Machine. Bugsies andWagoiis WAGON AND BUGGY MATERIALS- SADDLERY AND HARNESS, CROCKERY AND GLASSWARE, AND A SPECIAL LINE OF CUTLERY; WOOD AND WILLOWWARE. ETC. We specially invite foe trading public to coll and examine our goods and prices. We keep the best, as well ns the cheapest, goods In this market, and will gjve our customers the valtjcof their money. Tullis’ old Btand, aiid*435 Cotton Ave., ~ ahetootstsa. Cheap : Money I Loans Neptiated on City, Town or Farni Property at Rate that lieiji tapelon!.,.; . TERMS MOST FAVORABLE. . s r . * ALL CONDITIONS EASY J. J. HANESLEY, - - A MERICUS,-GA. BUGGIES I will soil you the 1»**t buggy InCJoorgU, price and quality considered. Repairing of all kinds solicited, and executed promptly and neatly. All work warranted. T. S. GREENE. X <jUEF.It BOX IN X DAOOAOE CAB. waltz at a private dancing school, when the man of tho mace rnshed in upon them and waltzed them away to tho bar of the honse, there to make their expla nation. When a member Is called before the bar to give reasons for his absence he is not sworn to tell the truth. It would be exceedingly awkward at times if this ex action wero made of him, for statesmen have been taken out of professional gam bling dens and worso places by the un relenting bnt happily secret keeping officials. The man of the maco must havo discretion as well as zeal, for it wonld not do to take an intoxicated statesman into tho presenco of tho honse. That would offend tho dignity of the body, and be decidedly uncomfortable for tho member. In such cases tho officer discreetly reports “not to bo found. More than one statesman of renown owes his fair fame to tho reticence and discretion of a sergeant-at-arms or his assistant. It is a matter of general con gratulation, however, that drunkenness, gambling and worso vices axe much less frequent now among public men than they were in the old days. There are no public gambling houses in Washing ton, and tho members who often get drunk could be counted on one’s fingers. Some strange stories are told by as sistant sergeants-at-arms concerning their experiences with junkets and fn- n orals. It is tho duty of these officials to set as funeral masters when a member of tho honse dies, and to make all arrange ments for transporting the corpse to the place o( interment, accompanied by a committee of congressmen. As*rnle, of late years these funeral excursions are managed with dignity a*i solemnity, thongh it wonld he contrary to human nature If a few small jogs and a limited number of bottles of wine and boxes of cigars wero not included in the para- JsBcnallaof woe. Many funeral scandals lave come to light through publication of the items of expense, but ono story has down to this time eecapedtho chron iclers oftho press. It was told the other day by an cx-sergeant-at-arms. “I was managing a funeral trip once," said this gentleman, “and the journey was a long and tedious one. Tho com mitteo insisted thatlshould lay in a sup ply of whisky apd wine, and I did so. Bnt theta was no place tostore the goods and no place in whichto keep lee and foe other article# which help to make those things go off smoothly. Bo we went into foe baggage car and there fixed up a little bar of onr own. And what do yon suppose it was we put our bottle* on and took onr drinks from? Cotton Avei ue Opposite Americas, Georgia. /’rince’s Stables w. R. SCHROEDER. Fonmirlr with M.F. Holland MV* «. Vtlakta, Ga. j. W. STRICKLAND YorirerJ* with Hunnlentt* Balllngr ath Atlasta, Oa. ■ SCHOEDER & STICKLAND, 724 Cotton Avenue, Americus, Ga. imMm HOT AIK HEATING, ETC- .RON SMOKE STACKSIA SPECIALTY. NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS AND BUILDERS : W« woulu bo pleased to tlvs you estimates on jroui Tin, Iron and Cornice work. Wo guarantee all work to be flrst-olaae in every pmrticu nr. Ridging, Cresting and Finals furnished on short notice. We>lso do Heavy Iron Workironi 14 to 17, Roofing. OnU terin" Hpoutlng. etc. 1u£§ihk»AND GET OUR fca«»MATES AND GIVE SUS A I RIAL- Cook’s Pharmaoy has been removed from Cotton Avenue to the W. J. Slappy corner, on Lee street, (near Artesian well) where I will be pleased to serve you in Drugs, Pat ent jMedicines, Garden Seeds, Etc. Respectfully, W. A, COOK, Proprietor H. D. WATTS —Wlolestle in Betti! Dealer 11— Fine Tobacco, Cigars and Whisky a Specialty! So. .103 Forsyth and 1004 Lee Streets, • • AMERICUS. GEORGIA ’ B. H. JOeiSUETSr. THE LEADING DEALER IN- Tobacco, Cigars m Liquors. sole Amt or tkesceebnteii Old *811 sunn" 10(1127.1711117. 31 COTTOli AVENUE. AMERICUS. Of. R. F. NEHRINC, *;f : R PROPRIETOR. Jackson Street, Under Allei Heat | I AMERICUS, GA, LIGHT BREAD A SPECIALTY! frta h to rf d Elite *^1 SmiuiCib Wignbsntto Country Merchants supplied with bread at wholesale prices. R. L.McLEOD & CO.J HALERS IN FANCY » STAPLE GROCERIES. SHOES, ETC. WHISKIES. CIGARS AND TOBACCO A' SPECIALTY. A TiOT