New-York tribune., 1886-05-16
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
sTHE RECORDn-AT THE RACES-SOCIAL
INCIDENTS-THE PRESIDENTS BRIDE.

fact that The Record aver be depended upon as
truly representing what daily occurs In Congress- Tne
abuse OF revision Ia small however, compared WITH
that OF leave print" Under the latter the strangest
things their way into The Record Senator Vest to
illustrate the evils OF this pra,ce. recalled some time
ago In q speech OF his the subject the case OF two
members who represented in The Record deliver
ing exactly the speech. The two men were william
Allen better known Poehorn Allen. and r. H.
Nugen both OF Ohio. The story OF how the thing hap
pened is thus told:
Nugen wanted to make a sreech on tho "conhscation
OF rebel property" but didn't know what to say While
looking around for way out OF the difficulty he came
across member OF the literary lobby" who, he found
was willing 20 write a speech s75. When the speech
ready Nugen handedrhe author only $50.
"Twerty- five more," demanded the literary teller"
Not another bsnked cent" replied the statesman.
AThen return the script" insisted the unfort-
unae author. But Nugen refused either 10 pay or to
return manuscript He kept for several weeks and
May g. 1862 proudly rising 10 his seat, dehVered
the speech to full House His wrath may be better
imagined than described when his attention was called
to the fact the following morning that the identical
speech had been delivered-st least swas printed as
having been dellvered-by William Allen on April "a,
few days after Nugens refusal to pay to the author OF
the speech the S25 demanded. Evidently the literary
personhs has not been handed down to history
had had his revenge Another instance or Congressman
plagiarism is recalled by of the oldtmers at the
served in the XXvIfth Congress His death is said to
have been fastened by 1t. He an able maa but so
pressed with always that when the time came
for him to deliver his valedcory he got OF those men
who are always on hand TO make little money to write
his address It was handed to him lust little while
before the time he had deliver it, and without reading
1t lie put 1t his pocket. When the nour had arrived
to close the proceedings OF the House he AMI slowly
unfolding the manuscript read the address. Ii was
brilliant but 1t Aaron Burrs famous yaledictory 10
the Senate The Speaker recovered from the
shock. He went homo and oon afterward died
The most nagrant abuse OF the " leave to print" on
record the case Of stephen W. DOwncy hO In losO
was delegate in Congress from Wyoming. After secur-
ing copyright OF long poetical edusion he had IL
printed as speech OF his In The Rec)rd In which t
covered fifteen pages. 1t ostensiby delivered in
support OF bill he had offered previously and In the
preamble this bill he incorporated the Apostles
Creed in full ss contained in the PrayelBOok OF the
Episcopal Church The bill was to appropriate
800 to purchase pictures Illustrative OF the birth
fe dea and resurrection OF Saviour Jesus Christ
TO adorn the National Capitol. The poem was called
Tie Immortss and was dedicated to tho Congress
OF the United states" In it in spite of thelvioent
professions faith in Christianity which he set forth In
his bill an It's preamble he held frequent ana IOhs CON
vers atoms the gods and goddes5es OF heAtnen
mythology Several parts OF tho wandering verses being
sub. headed Puautasmagoria" " aud containing weird
descrlF W.
criticism that while many members OF the House OF Rep
re,entatives had doubtless had 'em bal before and
since IL certainly unr sua TO put en- SNAKES anu
all into The Record and doubtless many reJOced that
Mr. DOwney copyrighted his variety AMI SO smut Oh I'M
iaors But il sometimes there Is too much when hnls
It's way into 4he Rccord there Oh tue other maud
times when it that not enough gets n recall an
instance OF this in the case OF Weller, Of Iowa.
Calamity" Weer--whO sat in the last Congress HIS
oraory was nor enjoyed b. his fellow ters anu
largely suppose, tneJ got too much o. H.
member insisted that MI. Weller was worse thdn
the Ohio fools" But on the occasion to when an
about 20 refer Mr. Weller wan ted TO tell story, ami as
will be seen he told with disastrous results. quote
from Ihe hecOrd:
Mr. Weller remember mp Iowa, in the district the
geltle man represents this occurrence IL was on
com,nunlon day aud they 10 have love feast
Prominent Democrats and prominent Republicans were
invited by the minister to come 10 tne at1r @ t a
ami blessed them. , ,
Mr. Be'ordThe wine to the Democrats aud the bread
to the Republicans. daughter and applause. .,,,
Mr. Weller-Just wait minute, my friend.
Laughter communion the MIN ster tOi tIoul 10
depart In peace and no more Yet after the HepuD-
leans rose up and said -ou.,oo,,s ti,ne bas expred
Laughter
Within an hour Mr. Weller succeeded to his great
reeG in getting the floor again:
desire TO conclude the Ittle narrative that was
about to relate when Interrupted. only snort tune
ago I'm the state OF Iowa in the lid Congressional Dis.
trct, on q molly sabbath day, | attended churcA
tinn for members OF their church to TIE
munion altar ana parIake Of bread and wine saw
a distinguished Democrat who, uIon that lnFlLiuoI
went TO the altar and I saw distinguished National
Bank Republican 20 there zoo lLau ghter. ,.,
The ChairmanI time o the gentleman mas eApireu'
Nj Weller-I ask permission Print the remainder OF
Mr iIenierson. Of Iowa-Ihat should be allowed as
my colleague Interrupted IL tie middle oi lHe
sacrament
Nevertheless an unfeellng member objected, and the
poiut OF Mr. Wellers story will probably never be
known How interesting, perhaps, If lie had obtained
leave TO print"
Tie question Of making The Eeeord as nearly as
possible truthful transcript OF what occurs III Congress
is always discussed when incident like that OF Gen
eraI Wbeelers revision the other day happens TO
attract attention. Much virtuous Indignation IS ex
pressel resolutions are made only u be broken, ana
there the matter ends The simple rule should De thAs
no speeches can be printed In The record when nave not
actually been delivered and no revision or correction
all owed beyond that OF mere grammar aud puDctuato'
But that will probably be adopted on the
col trary the crowding OF The Record with uDdeYered
speeches and the expense Of printing it are constantly
increasing Il was last year something like sl2o,OOO
The races have been OF the chief attractions OF the
week despite rain which ntertered som ewhat Win
the enjoyment o. tie sport don't doubt that rach day
SAW Quorum Ct the House the track and that tue
Speaker AMI the Chaplain had been there tie puDhc
business might have proceeded with on the spot
without any trouble whatever. As Is Hsua' Oh 'noso
occa sions, Kentucky represented Dy tue largest
delegaton Tennessee. believe, came next c1oss!
,lo,gel bv virginia But all the Southern States, am
bound TO say did well this resi- ect though there duu
seem t. be much money 10 the crowd ana tne Oetuhs
was light being principally confined to tue mu'uhs
noticed that neither Beck Blackburn was present
on the third day OF the meeting Dut their absence was
aft erward by the fact that they had gone TO
rhe Louisville races. The special car IN which they
travelled was supplied with all kinds OF ediDes and
driuables aud said to have resembled the outfit OF
Congressional funeral party.
The humor OF Senator Edmurds Is rather hoary.
When Senator Allison suggested the other day to nave
the bill appropriaug money for lifting out an expedi-
ton to observe total eclipse OF the sun next August
laid aside until Mr. Hale, who is NEST Interested IN the
measure, could return to the chamber Mr. Edmunds
remarked gravely: