New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-02
P1NSY AND PELICAN.

Either in a spirit of noble emulation OF the
French Chamber Of Deputies or because in
spred by the circumstance that in little
moro than n month the Democratic party will
come back - the full possession of power which
it has not enjoyed for more than thirty years,
our own National House of Representatives on
Tuesday rocked itself for several minutes on
the edge Of one of those interesting occurrences,
so common before the war; called affairs Of
honor" Tho temper OF the statesmen whom
the Democratic party sends - Washington -
make our laws is not especially mallcabc or
plant, even when they sit in q minority and
have no responsibility except t. keep the ma
jority from doing business. II becomes cx
cccdingly brittle when they are in a majority
and have power II must he that there is
something in the prospect Of victuals that
makes them sensitive and touchy and excitcs
iercencss. On Tuesday Mr. Butler, a Demo
cratic member from Iowa. who has distin-
guishcd himself by advocating the adoption of
the pansy as the National emblem, attempted
to defeat some items in an appropriation bill
by raising points of order. Mr.. Blanchard,
Democratic member from Louisiana, intimatcd
that the Iowa holticulturist was put MP to that
sort of thing by the sly, economical Holman
The insinuation reused the ire Of the hori-
cultnrist The pansy suddenly rose to the
height of a sunilowcr With a flowing gesture
he denounced the insnuation as untrue. and
added, in "befo dc-wah." but Quitc-out Of
order way off YOU were a gentleman You would
not have made it,
Straightway hi hi! rub-a-dub houp la {,
everybody tumbled to the seat of war Mem
bcrs closed in around the two statesmen, and
all eyes, according to the report, were turned
upon the gentleman from Louisiana. "With
remarkable composure," the dispatch from
which we quote remarks, "he slowly and de-
liberatcy said Mr.. Speaker this is not the
time nor tho place to reply to the statement
Just made by the gentleman from Iowa. will
at another time and place resent the insult
which he has just offered me-" An immedi-
ate collision was avertcd. The members who
had closed in and put themselves in sholtstop
attitudes TO catch the casual inkstand on the
fly and pass it to the home base or the Speaker
or Sergeant at Arms or some other fellow. grad
ually subsidized to their places and for a mo-
ment brcathed freer. But the Iowa pansy con-
tnued to "glare defanty" at his antagonist.
This defiant glazing awakened apprehension
Statesmen from all parts of the country, hold.
ing widely divergent opinions on the tariff and
free silver gathered around him and proceeded
to mollify him. What arguments they used
does not appear. but the dispatch intimates
that the GOODNESS and imperturbability of the
gentleman from Louisiana, who after an
nouncng his purpose to resent the insult at
another time and place had resumed his speech
was more effective than anything oIsc in the
modification. Having elared defianty until
the glare had become a little monotonous and
tiresome to hold the gentleman from Iowa
laid it aside and apologzed to the House
Whereupon the pansy and the pelican shook
hands. and doubtless "tooll something
The dispatch from which we quote adds
that " the fighting members of the House were
somewhat disappointed at the amicable adjust.
ment OF The difficulty" We do not know how
many lighting members there arc in the
House. but their disappointment was quite
natural. The remarkable composurco of the