Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-06-03
HOW LEWIS WON.
BY ORGANIZATION HE CARRIED
THE DAY.
How Representative Lewis Sc
cured the Assay Office for Scat
attlc--A Masterly Fight Which
Gives Republican Leaders the
.Jim.jams to Contemplate.


.Jim.jams to Contemplate.
1t is but to adopt old Joe Cannon's
words in saying of Lewis fight for the
ASSAY Office" 1t was one of the finest
parliamentary line-ups Congress has
seen since the days OF old Sam Ram
dali" "That fellow Lewis tricked his
assay mill through" whined Speaker
Reed, with n defeated tone. The
floor management was so adroit and
skillful that the press boys i'll the
gallery iorsook war jottings to watch
the maneuvers. A dapper, slight-fig-
ured man darting silently from aisle to
aisle and then to the Republican side
to fly back to the Democratic side
fllitting" out in the corridors, to be
followed in his each return by clus-
ter of members. The Democratic
side soon filled up to the full member
ship-the unusual thing-the men
had been in hiding. 1t was apparent
that the slim, slight, courtesying Lewis
of Washington had laid a scheme and
was marshalling it into perfection.
The truth soon appeared, to the dis
may of Reed, Cannon and Dingley.
Lewis had given out to the enenIies
of the assay Office in some indirect
way that on Thursday the regular pri-
vate bill day, he would urge his bill,
in the meantime personally informing
the Democratic side to be on hand
Monday and to keep the secret unre-
vealed. To certain Republicans with
whom the Seattle man had become
chummy" that truth was whispered.
These Republicans were those who
have been kept in bondage by the
"big three" OF the Republican side,
and were laughing in their sleeves at
the coup Lewis had in store for the
"big uns."
Promptly as lunch hour was at its
height, when the opponents of the
bill were either out-being put off
guard-or at lunch. Lewis signalled
Stone of Pennsylvania, who is chair
man of the committee, to report the
bill. Stone arose, the Speaker, un-
suspectingly, after refusing to call the
calender in order to defeat the bill,
recognized Stone-as he never would
have done Lewis. Stone called for a
consideration of the bill. The oppo-
nents saw where they "were at"
Reed grew red, and as usual, when an
noyed, began to breathe hard. Pierce
of st. Louis opened the opposition by
demanding the votes on the consider
alton in this irregular way. Two
thirds was necessary-majority not
sufficient; but Lewis and Stone were
ready; down the aisle came the friends
of the measure between the tellers to
be counted-117 to 3. 1t was clear
that organization of the minority side
had caught the majority at a great
disadvantage. Cannon sent hastily
for Grosvenor, the whip of the Repub-
lican side, to summon his men at once.
But Lewis, as General Coggswell, Of
Michigan said, had "played too
smooth" He had paired Grosvenor
with a "dead member" that is, with
an absent one-Judge Klebcrg Of
Texas-how he would have voted had
he been present no one knows-at
any rate Grosvenor was rid of. Being
unsuspicious, he had gone from the
House, and he alone had the signal.
Stone opened, justifying the commit
tees report on the bill in fine speech.
He accorded the floor to Lewis, who
was in charge of the Democratic side.
Lewis made speech in excellent
temper, we'll calculated to prevent
personal or political feeling from aris
ing-a speech asking favor of friends;
covering the whole subject in an argu-
ment, as was clearly to be seen, pre-
pared with detail. He then yielded to
his colleague, Jones OF Washington,
who made graceful presentation Of
the miners side of the contest, and at
the close was applauded. Then Sha-
froth of Colorado, followed, and in
turn was followed by Bland of Nilsson.
ri. Cannon then opened fire. He
brought forth from his desk docu-
ments, and launched forth vehement
ly and almost vindictively against the
measure, and particularly as to what
he called the "engineering trick of the
wizard from Washington" which pro-
duced much laughter. Cannon was
very keen at times, and though he
showed that he had prepared the mat
ter of his opposition with care, that he
had been taken unawares by the Seat
tie man. Hill of Connecticut, the
member of the committee who opposed
the bill, next spoke. He, too, was
earnest, and tried to get in figures to
show no necessity for the office. But
his figures he had cleft in his office,
not expecting the measure at that
time" Hill was followed by Walker
OF Massachusetts,, who opposed the bill
in very we'll arranged speech. He
was not caught. He had his matter