The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-01-24

HOUSE.

|
| 1he speaker announced the appoint
ment OF the following special committee or
payment OF bounties, pensions and back
pay, Messrs. Coffroth, Geddes, Myers,
Mcmillan, Hamor, Caswell and Thomas.
| Mr.. Springer introduced bill author
izing certain books and mementoes in pos
session of the government to be placed in
Memorial Hall Of the Lincoln Monument
Association, at Springfield, ILL., 1t was
passed.
Mr.. McCook introduced joint resolu-
tiou, which passed, for the erection of a
military storehouse at Omaha.
Mr.. Henderson, from the committee on
commerce, reported resolution calling on
the secretary of war for information in
relation to obstructions in the harbor at
| Rock Island, Ill. Adopted.
The house went into committee of the
whole on the state of the Uuion, for the
purpose of listening to Mr. Horrs reply to
Mr. Cox s speech OF yesterday
Mr., Horr elected roars of laughter from
| the members and spectators.
Mr. Cox made no reply, and the house
considered public business.
When MIR. Horr rose the scene was as
dramatic aud exciting as when an impor-
taut political debate impends. The CALLER
les we're crowded with people, and menu
bers gathered around Horr, who spoke
| from the space in front of the speakers g
| desk. He stated that before he commenc-
| ed his reply to the eloquent and able
speech Of the distinguished and weighty
gentleman from New York Mr., Cox he
would ask the clerk to read the speech. or
portion of it, which he Mr.. Horr] had
| delivered few days ago, and whicn had
occasioned that fearful effort which the
house had endured yesterday. The
clerk read as follows: Genial little
friend Loud laughter. Mr.. Horr
| justified himself for using the
words genial little friend" By explaining
that they were spoken in tie heat of de
bate. slaughter. He had spent his
bOyhood in manual labor and hard work,
and was consequently sometimes embar
| rassed, and IN his extreme difficulty
dropped words which he was sorry for
afterwards. Had he Iown the sensitive
ness of the gentleman from New York
he knew that genteman's weight and ac-
mplishments-far be it from him to
enter contest with him. He (Horr)
approached another subject bingly,
because his friend had told the House
yesterday that he once blew a man right
| through key hole. and he (Horr) did not
want such tight squeeze. His friend
had made a speech during the extra ses-
sion on the test oath. That speech had
marked in it Laughter" fourteen times;
lappiause, great laughter" once; "ap-
plause and laughter" once; laughter, |
and long continued applause" once. He
| He wanted to know if the rumor was true
that that speech had been printed. laugh
ter, applause and all, three days before it
was delivered? Roars of laughter. |
That was big advantage. Gentlemen
who could sit down in the darkness of the
| midnight hour and when they got funny
thing just stop and cheer themselves and
write Laughter" had great advantage
| The gentleman did too much for the world.
That was probably the reason for his
being so thin. If be furnished the laugh
| ter and let the world furnish the applause
| it would not draw 50 on his constitution.
MIR. Horr sent To the Clerks desk a
bound volume of Hdrper's Heelclv, which
the Clerk held up to the full view of the
| House, opened at picture which repre-
sented Mr.. Cox as Speaker of tho
House with his feet resting on the
back of a chair. This action of
Mr. Horr's was greeted with roars of
laughter which broke out afresh when
that gentleman stated that the picture
had been published just after Mr.. Cox
| had not been elected Speaker. Whoever
| looked at that picture, he said. would
notice that the gentleman had been placed
with his feet on top of the Speakers chair,
so that he could get his head over the
desk. He had heard that his FREUD had
once stated that had he been six inches
taller he would have been President
Laughter The Democratic party had
fallen into the same mistake as the gentle
man IN giving heed to muscle instead OF
brains. Ii the gentleman from New York
had three inches and lot of votes more
he might have been Speaker of the House.
He wishes to say in conclusion that what-
ever he might hereafter say in debate be
begged the gentleman from New York to
understand that he had no malice or hard
ness of heart 10 him. That gentlemen
had been kind enough to give him an
epitaph. He (Horr) was not poet, but a
friend had written for him an epitaph
upon the gentleman from New \ ork which
he thought just covered the case:
Beneath this slab lies the great Sam Cox,
Who was wise as owl and brave as OK,
Think il not strange, his turning to dust,
For he swelled and he swelled till he finally bust
just where hel has gone, or just how he fares,
Nobody knows and nobody cares,
But wherever he is, be he angel or elf,
Be sure. dear reader, he's putting himself.
The delivery of these lines was followed
by roars of laughter which were redoubled
when, Mr. Cox making no reply, the CON-
mittee arose and the House Immediately
went into Com mittee of the whole on the
private calendar. Mr.. Cox in the chair.
After some time the committee arose and
a number of private bills passed.
Mr.. Hawley, rising to a question of
privilege, said that in the Record, this
morning. gross injustice chad been done
him in the speech delivered by the gentle
man from Iowa (Weayer) Yesterday
he had stated that Senator Logan. Of
Illinois, had referred to the Weaver
bill as q piece of demagogism, where
upon be (Hawleyl had made the remark.
He is perfectly right. The gentle :
man from Iowa had then gone on to say
that Senator Logan had voted for the
salary grab and had pocketed bis share
of the 'swag" In the Record h;s remark
had been placed after that latter clause,
making it appear that he had approved
of the ODportuuitV to say that he consider