Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-08-23
ABUSED BY MIR. TALBERT.
How the South Caro1inian At
tackled His Colleagues.
Izs Seems to Have Poor Opinion of the
Average Congressman - How Speeches
Are Reported-Privileges Which
Need Curtailment.
Especial Washington letter.

Especial Washington letter.
Rapid stenographers walk from place
60 place on the floor of the house of
Representatives, with books in their
hands, and take down every word
which is uttered by members of the
house during debates. When one Ste
nographer has been thus engaged for
half an hour another expert comes to
his relief. Then the man whose note
book is full of talk goes to a phono-
graph on the lower floor and shouts the
words of the statesmen into the ma
chine The speedy young lady type
writer then takes the phonograph and
1ranscribes the speeches, and they are
sent to the government printing Office.
On the following morning the big Con-
gressional record appears with every
word reproduced just as uttered on the
floor of the house. The same procedure
occurs in the senate every day, so that,
with the aid of stenographers, phono-
graphs, typewriters, printers and
preSsmen, the words, sentences, para
graphs, entire speeches of senators and
representatives are reproduced and
kept SO that they may be read many
years after the statesmen are dead and
forgotten.
a great many things are said in de-
bate which ought not to be said; be-
-czLHe they are not strictly true. The
4statesmen usually talk for the benefit
OF their constituencies, rather than for
the purpose of influencing congress
sa0nal action. They talk with a view
OF having their speeches printed, to be
8ent, at government expense, to their
L.
night sessions of the house which are de-
voted to the consideration of private
pension claims are wasted. There is sell
dom quorum present to do business
At one of these Friday night meetings
recently, Congressman Talbert. of
South Carolina, became angry because
80 few members were present, and he
said: They will have to give up their
Slaw-hammer coats, their euchre par
ties and entertainments and come here.
We are in a tremendous condition in
this house, which reminds me of what
! once heard of a preacher. He said:
SNow, 1 want to preach to all good
Christians a little while, and 1 want all
those who are not good Christians to
get out; and 1 will pause for them to
get out Not a single man stirred.
Well, he said, 4 want to preach to all
sinners; and all those who are good
Christians and not sinners will please
get up and go out Not a single soul
stirred. Well he said, I want to
preach to all those who are lulzewarm;
all those who are good Christians and
sinners will get out Not a soul
stirred The preacher was nonplussed.
Then he got up and said: You are in a
horrible TX So it is with a number
of us Dozens of members are at home
making more promises. Republicans,
democrats and populists are doing the
same thing. Here we are without
quorum on account of our members at
home fencing. And think the people
and our constituencies are like that
preacher found his congregation. They
are in a horrible fix So, Mr.. Chair
xn1n, think we ought to have a call of
the house and send out at once to the
saloons all over the city and to the
enchre parties and bring the soldier
1ovees here, and let us pension the SOL
diers or stop this hypocritical can't"
That sort of a speech may read well
down in Mr.. Talbert's South Carolina
district, but it does not read well to
people who know that it is both untrue
and unfair The members who do not
intend the Friday night sessions remain
away because they have other business
"A very small percentage of them at
tend euchre parties and attend enter
tainments in clawhammer coats. 1t is
Cafai- to have sent forth the inference
that the absent members could be found
An the saloons all over the city" Very
few members Of congress are habitually
drinking men. The spirit of temper
ance Is abroad in the land, and states
men are strongly influenced by the ex-
6s1ence OF that spirit and sentiment
Mr. Talberrs knows this fact as well as
anybody He knew that he was mis-
representing his fellow members when
he made that speech. 1t may make the
readers in his district believe that their
congressman is GO. strong temperance
Elan, and always on duty in the house,
bz,t it is unfair for congressman 20
build himself mp at home by wholesale
Misrepresentation of his colleagues on
the floor of the house.
The Friday night sessions are not
alone in their remarkable absenteeisIn.
Certain afternoons are set apart by
order Of the house, for the delivery of
eulogics on the life, character and pub
be services of deceased congressman.
On such afternoons the hall of .he
ADnSe is deserted Not even solitary
listener remains in the galleries On
the floor are to be seen only the orators
who extol the deceased, the congress-
men from the state in which the dead
man formerly resided, and the steno-
who take down the speeches