El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-09
WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON
The Speaker s Disease. How Some
congressman are Mlraculously
Invisible. -BorroWlng Time.-Si-
lent Hanna.-Hale and Wellington
Unnecessarily Worried About Eng
land.-Boneless Boers.-Wartlme
Fashions.
pecial Correspondence of the HERALD.
(ByD OFF
WAsHINGT N, June 4. 1900. with
I'D journment only a few days ahead both
houses of congress are working. The
time is short and there is much to say
and there are many kicks to register.
The senators don't really need to talk
because they can print what they like
in the Congressional Record and actual
prations are not necessary. Still, as
matter OF form they do deliver their
speeches: in fact some of them, like
Fifteen Hour Allen of Nebraska, would
scorn inducements to stop. But with
the house IL is different. Without the
speakers sanction q man can talk day
In and day out and never get into print
x<x
However there ia blessed dispen-
sation OF providence by which If man
does find chance to say three conse-
cutive words unde- the speakers eye
he can get "lesve to extend" his re-
marks in the Record to many folios.
Otherwise the world would be poorer
FOR uncounted millions of words that
stir and thoughts that burn. Also the
Record would be livelier but thinner
paper But the difficulty is in catching
the speakers eye. There is q queer
hereditary disease Of the eye passing
from one speaker to another, . sort Of
order of colorblindness except that it's
different. Henderson has 1t but not as
bad rs Reed had. There were dozens
and dozens of people that Reed could
not see at all on the floor. Others he
could see without the slightest trou-
0bstacles. J. Ham. Lewis was one of
she invisible men. He could-and fire.
quently did-get right up in front Of
,he speaker and dance a war dance,
shouting minced Webster's U Unabridged
at she rate of 200 words a minute and
turning fipasps at every semi-colon;
and still Reed couldn't see him. And
yet in the midst of Lewis panoramic,
kaleidoscope evolutions-with very
likely Sulzer of New York and Jerry
Simpson likewise talking thirteen to
the dozen-Reed could always see Uncle
Joe Cannon piping up in the back OF the
room, Mr.. Speaker"
Henderson's eyes are much better
than Reeds were, but he often fails TO
see democrat when a republican
wants the floor. And the pops are
even less visible to him. AS rule
wise representatives do not trust to
the luck of the MT ment If they want to
talk. What they do is to go and see
the speaker week ahead and say
gently but firmly, Now, Mr.. Hender-
SOD, m going to be on the floor next
Wedne sday morning about IL O'CLOCK;
and l want you to see- me, Don't
forget me; I'm representative Sor-
ghum. republican, Kansas: tall man,
ren bandana: don't forget" And
Henderson looks mortifed-it IL un-
pleasant to be reminded OF ones de
beien cies-and clasps Sorghum by the
hand as promises to see him, sure.
And somehow he does when Wednes-
day morning and IL o'clock roll
around, see him ii all the popedems
In The house are talking in unison and
jumping thirteen feet in the air, while
sorghum ia out in the hall telling
drummer stories to q constituent. Il
Is q marvellous thing.
But there Ia another blessed disPen-
sation of providence In favor of the
semi-invisible. If man with surging
emotions about something and no hope
of catching the speakers eye can find
ano sher man who has it or is going to
have it, number one may be able to
borrow q minute, or two minutes, or
ten, or whatever compromise may be
arrived at between the wants of num-
Der one and the generosity of number
TWO. Some of the visible people are
thrifty and won't lend, but mostly
they are generous.
Senator Hanna is not q personi6ed
debating society and oratory Is not his