Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-12-15

I'M
THE CHOIR WILL COME TO ORDER"
be made the old man would begin to re- |
peat, parrot-like. what the boy was |
saying, and the house would be con-
vulsed with laughter.
Speaker Pennington would often |
begin talking before ThRd could con-
clude a sentence intended only for |
his private ear. This would embar-
rass the boy. and he would not con-
clude his statement. That would |
leave Speaker Pennington's utterance
unfinished, and he knew not how to |
conclude. All of the representatives |
understood the situation, knew that |
the boy was the real presiding officer,
and they would throw the house into |
confusion of shouts and yells of de-
rision. The opposition party would
make the most of il. of course.
"As I said. Pennington was one OF |
the best of men; q man of pure life |
and upright character; a man who
had always been respected by every
body. He had rendered his district
and his state conspicuous service. He
was loyal. faithful and good But
when he was elected speaker he was
SO old and infrm that he should not
have been selected for the position.
John Sherman keenly felt the situ-
alton; keenly fe,t that the man who
succeeded in gaining the Office was
net. at that time of life, in any sense
his equal. JOAN Sherman was q pow
erful man and in his prime. Two
years later, when the speakership was
easily within his grasp, he gave IL up
reluctantly and accepted an election
to the senate. where he remained so
long and rendered such splendid serv-
ic TO his country" .
Some very interesting things occur
in the house of representatives, which
history. There are occasions when
the house becomes a body OF jolly old
boys, and they play all sorts of
parks. About ten years ago the pres
eDt speaker Of the house, Hon. ID. b.
Henderson, of Iowa, was absent when
quorum was necessary for an all
night session. Everybody knew that
nothing would be accomplished at the
night session, nothing but lot Of
political wrangling; and many OF the
members went to places of amuse-
ment. The house ordered the SER
geant-at-arms to arrest absent MEM
bers and bring them in. One of these
absentees was Henderson. Carlisle
was presiding when Henderson was
brought before the bar of the house
and asked what excuse he had for abb
senting himself He made some sort
of explanation, when republican
member moved that the gentleman
from Iowa be fined $1,000 for his abb
sence." Speaker Carlisle said:
"It is moved that the gentleman
from Iowa be fined $1,000 All in IA
vor OF the motion say aye"
There was a chorus of "ayes." The
motion was apparently carried unan-
imously, and people in the gallery
were beginning to feel sorry for Hem
derson, when Speaker Carlisle said:
There are no ayes and a majority
of noes and the gentleman is for
given"
There was a shout of approval of
the decision of the speaker, because
there was not man in the house who
really wanted popular Dave Hender-
son fined, particularly because no
other absentee had been fined or re-
proved. 1t was simply the play and
fun of the thing that made them vote
for the fine, and Carlisle annulled IL.
When the congress adjourned last
June a recess of ten minutes was
taken before adjournment. The rep
resentatives crowded into the aisle be-
fore the speakers chair and sang all
sorts of songs. Democrats and re-
publicans mingled together and made
the big hall ring with their music.
IThey sang Dixie" ''Star Spangled
Banner" "Bonnie Blue Flag" "Yan-
lkee Doodle" and other popular airs
At last, when the hour for adjourn
lment arrived, Speaker Henderson took
lup the gayeI to call the house to or.
' Ider, when the members all pointed
D their fingers at him and sang: "He's
r a Jolly Good Fellow"
E When they had concluded Speaker
!. Henderson raped with his gavel say.
ling: "The choir will come to order;
D also the house" The speaker deliv
$ cred brief and eloquent farewell
: address and the house adjourned will
' = lot of more Publication and singing
I SMITH d. FRY.