The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-18
THE SENA1 L AS 1T is.
WALTER WELLMAk ExcORiATES THE
SOlONS AT WASHINGTON.

Hard Work To Get u Quorum tn Listen to q
Noteworthy Speech Senators Are Lazy.
VIII Listen, However. IL They Are
Amused at the Same Time.
1t is not easy for an honest observer
to accord much praise or admiration to
the United States senate as we see it to-
day. For four days Mr.. Villas Of Wis
consin engaged in the delivery of a
speech on the Nicaragua canal bill. II
has been one of the noteworthy speech
es of recent years. In original investi-
cation, in keen insight into the condi-
tions surrounding the enterprise and its
future, in broad, statesmanlike views
expressed in felicitous language, it
ranks among the great efforts heard in
that chamber during the present gener-
alton. Yet an incident recurring almost
hourly during the delivery of this mas.
terpiece has been a call of the senate in
order to produce quorum. Fifty SEN
ators appear in the chamber, coming
from their committee rooms or other
places where it is comfortable to lounge,
in response to the call Mr.. Villas pro-
ceeds. In five minutes he is talking to
90 senators. In ten minutes the number
has been reduced to 10. When the audi
ence dwindles to half dozen, Mr.. Tur.
pie or Mr. Bacon or some other senator
suggests the absence of quorum, and
there is another call of the senate.
Again and again this process is repeat.
ed If Mr. Villas Were prosy, if his topic
were not one of vast interest and i'm.
portance, if he were not placing before
the senate matter highly instructive to
most of its members, there might be
some excuse for this indifference.
The truth is that majority Of our
solons of the upper house are lazy. They
do not care to be instructed They are
too well satisfied with the store of in
formation which chance has brought
them. They will not take the trouble to
listen and learn. By exhaustive research |
Mr.. Villas established quite to any ones |
that the Nicaragua canal |
could never be mere private enter |
prise of the United States government. |
He showed that i'll all probability the |
Clayton Bulwer treaty must be regard
ed as in force and even If it were not |
the general policy Of modern nations
the naturalization Of canals
oceans would operate to the
inevitable naturalization of the Nicara-
qua channel.
Mr. Villas brought all this out clear
", quoting the articles Of the Constan-
tinople convention, which secured the
naturalization Of the Suez canal. Yet
half the senators who refused to listen
70 him are probably still in ignorance
If the existence of this treaty and of
his international spirit, and they will
90 ON talking for the Nicaragua canal
rs channel which the United States
nay own and operate TO the exclusion
IT the vessels Of peace and of war of all
)ther nations at our own sweet will.
Senators like TO be amused apparent
y more than they like to be instructed
When Senator Hill took the floor to
make speech upon the bill forbidding
he sale Of liquors i'll the capitol, almost
very seat in the chamber was occupied.
Seventy senators sat, with eager i'll
crest depicted upon their countenances,
While Mr.. Hill descanted upon his ia
'orite topic of personal liberty and
worked off upon his audience parts of
lis old lecture-the lecture which did
lot go before a paying assemblage. Mr..
Hill could well afford to champion the
lights of senators to have their teddy
handy, for the senator from New York
never drinks. He was amusing at times, /.
90, and in the United States senate of
oday the statesman who wants to be |,
ure of an audience must be either fun
~ or malicious. When Hill makes jokes
bout birch beer and pop, or Tillman un- s
orks the vial of his wrath, the senate &
loor is none too large to hold those who |
would listen. When Villas makes a note ,
worthy speech upon an important sub ,
ect the benches are empty. Walter
Nellman in Chicago Times Herald.
Dying One Hundred Per Day.