Specimen Days: THE CAPITOL BY GAS-LIGHT

This is a very brief account of Whitman wandering through the capitol. Instead of focusing on the sights or the mall or the various other things one could see in D.C. he speaks only of the house and the senate. He most likely finds them to be the most important as they are the representatives of the people and the states they. These offices are the ones with the most direct contact to the people. Whitman is giving importance to the democratic process on the level that allows for more participation by the general populace. That is why, perhaps, for him when visiting the capitol it is more important to check in on this process and show that you are a part of it.