The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-04
SENATORIAL DISCOURTESY.


Washington Letter in Chicago Journal.
Beveridge is proud and sensitive. and un-
doubtedly vain. But those who know him
best do not lay up his vanity against him.
He is sincere, and his freshness and en-
thusiasm. and earnestness are in such re-
freshing contrast to the blase, worn out,
cold booded clamminess of most of those
old barnacles that much can be forgiven
him.
But the old senators are after him, and
they are as wicked as pirates. If Plat or
Hanna had developed under slightly diff
ferent environment they would be scut-
Ting ships and making women and children
walk the plank without batting an eye
lash Their feelings would never interfere
with the attainment of any end, for they
have none. Neither would their scruples,
for far the evidence goes they never
learned the meaning of the word.
But to return to our mutton. The revenge
they took on Beverage was too mean even
for senators. There was not man of them
who did not know that the speaker was
racing with time to go to the bedside of
his dying wife. There was not one of them
who could not see and who did not see
the traces or gr1ef ana SufIer1ng IN the
hollow eyes, the pale face, and the dry
cracked lips. They knew that he was
making his fight for conscience, while
good many of them knew that their polit-
ical course was due primarily to a lack of
conscience. They knew that the young
man was already being damned by his
friends and enemies alike. They knew that
each little dart, missiles which against
their time-tanned hides would have fallen
harmless, had gone straight home to his
heart. They knew that in the end he in
tended TO stand the side of the
political question as themselves. Yet,
knowing all this they would not forego
mean and petty revenge.
1t is not necessary to particularize as
to the plot Ito suppress Beveridge." 1t
requires no great genius for its concoc-
concerted arrangement that all Republican
senator's should be unusually and markedly
rude. They should get up and leave the
chamber as soon as he began to speak.
They would leave in large numbers and in
a conspicuous manner. Those who re-
manned should occupy themselves with
other matters. They should read write,
talk, and make unnecessary noise. 1t was
all very simple. 1t could be justified on the
ground that it was the customary practice
in the Senate. Why, they asked each other,
should this young man be treated to any
better attention than older members of the
Senate? They would gauge their courtesy
to him by the standard which was applied
when some uninteresting member of the
minority was talking for the benefit of
his constituency. The fact that the CALLER
les were filled to hear him, and that they
had listened most respectfully the other
time he had spoken would be purposely
forgotten and ignored. 1t was very easy
programme. Just to be as rude as they
were I'm the habit of being.
But it overdone. They overplayed
their part. They showed the animus. 1t
was as apparent as the rudeness itself.
Those who looken on were disguised. The
lery, and when they went into their lobby
there were blasts of profanity and epithets
which could never, under any circum-
stances, be put into print. 1t outraged their
sense of fair play.