The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-09-20

n N 0HI G1C1lGLAON
| atfemnting to adore IS the House, others
bissine like adders, and all Of them
taIkin0 aloud or mutterlng as b spirit
moved them-a vote of censure on the
presiding officer for incompetency
would be in order. [ do not wish to be
understood as saying that the Speaker
of the House of Representatives is in
competent OF that the Congress should
be charged with blackguardism, not
even theoretically do l say it, for Gus
toms differ as you travel from home,
and the conduct which would be exc
cradle in a draWing-room would be
quite proper and exceedingly appro
pirate in the LupGnGT. As a mans en-
vironments are refined or vulgar, so
will his conduct shape itself after a
time, and I would not wonder if u
own John Davis should become de-
moralized and wonder where he was
at?' after a few more terms in Con
gress. 1t strikes me that Where vas
/ at9" is In exceedingly appropriate
question for a man to ask himself after
he has been in Congress a few months,
but in asking the question he should be
particularly careful that those who can
testify are not within sound OF his
voice, for a truthful answer might
prove very embarrassing to b ques-
tioner. Instead of making such a row
over Mr.. Watson's charge, l thought
that it would be the graceful thing for
Congress to pass a resolution, OF thanks
to him for not telling the whole truth
about that body. | do not frequent
bar-rooms; have invaded the realms of
stale beer, Congressional tea and vile
odors but q few, times during my life.
Even when I was Mayor and was
obliged to preside over a court room
full of plain and ornamented DRINKS, l
never witnessed such disorderly or
b%oisterous conduct as furnished the
sequel to Mr.. Wat5On's innocent sum-
ming I'D as l witnessed it on July 90.
After Mr.. Watson took his seat the
clerk read some "Senate Bills" and
then each member seemed as If pos
sessed by a fendish desire to scatter
himself all round the room. No
paid the slightest heed to what was be-
ing read, and not one in ten could tell
where he was at" when the clerk
finished reading. I know it was warm
and that something more cooling than
the roasting that Mr.. Watson had ad-
ministered would be appreciated, but
then the dignity of the Republic, which
these men were so vigorously defend
ing against the assaults of Watson's
book, should have been kept in mind
for a few brief moments after the wave
of indignation had famed the heated,
broad, thick, massive skulls of our ma
tional law creators. Why Senate bills
should not be listened to no one could
tell me. How any man, not gifted
with supernatural powers of perception
or intention, can sit in Congress and
know what is being done is to me a
mystery. If Congress were a circus
ring, if the members represented a
menag9rie, and if law making and
money-appropriating wer but a light
and frivolous joke, | could understand
such antics as / saw that day. One
man thrust his feet above his head and
yawned until the lining of his stomach
reflected the subdued light which
changed color as it came through the
stained glass and found itself-as l
found myself-in Congress. Another
chewed on the end of an unlit cigar,
while ever and anon he ran his fingers
through his hair in search of an idea
or something. Another, oblivious to
the Internal din around him, sat read
ing a book, and as hereadhe took time
to laugh occasionally, but whether his
merriment was occasioned by what he
read or the show that it cost his neigh
bors S., 900 to turn him loose in did not
appear. Two others stood to the left
Of the Speaker shaking their hands at
each other-nOt az though they in
tended to fight, for Congressman only
challenge each other to highland all
at n q they shot out of the chamber
as if a honey factory had started up in
their neighborhoOd and the honey
makers had intimated that they
wanted more room. Perhaps, they
only retired to inquire where they
were at9" One member strobe into the
chamber during the debate and then
strobe out again, as if he suddenly re-
membered that he was in the wrong
house. 1 saw him long enough to be
able to testify that he did not have the
appearance of a graduate from the
Kelly institute. / do not know whether
he is the Cobb who has since then been
convicted of drinking Congressional
tea, and, perhaps, he might have been
sober after all.
I fear that Mr.. Watson's sense of the
ridiculous is not very keen. He could
not have appreciated the humor of his
surroundings or he would not have
stated that drunken speakers debated
in Congress. AS I saw Congress, it
struck me that the only one who would
attempt to speak before that BODY
would have to be drunk, for a man in
his sober senses would hesitate long be-
fore testing his lungs above the clap
ping of hands, the jeers of the mem
ber5 and the misses of those who
thought that any sentiment, good or
bad, could be smothered or drowned in
the kissing of serpents or geese. Wat
son said: "They have not reformed"
Of course not. The man must have
been insane to expect such a thing.
They do not apply the gold cure in
Congress. This talk of economy with
other peoples money is all rot to the