The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-01-26
STRENUOUS LIFE NOW
STATESMEN GET AN EXAMPLE
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE.
NEW STATESMEN IN EVIDENCE

Representative Cummings on the
Fight Between Cannon and Hep
burn and the Unexpected over
throw of observation-disclosures and
Texas in the Thick of the Fray
Through Newly Pledged Orators.
Washington. Jan. 24.-This is the
time for the strenuous statesman. He
IS here in exuberance and plentitude of
power. Recognizing his opportunity, he
IS making hay while the sun shines.
With a strenuous atmosphere in the
White House. there is a strenuousnesS
at the Capitol that foreshadows siren
uous work in Congress. This work is
already laid out. and some of it partly
accomplished. The Nicaragua canal bill
has passed the House and is in the
hands of the Senate. The discussion
gave the strenuous statesman an OPP
portunity which he did not neglect.
Debate was practically unlimited and
the veriest tyro was allowed to air his
eloquence. Inspiring was the subject
and inspiring were the surroundings.
The flow of oratory was astonishing.
The new member boldly asserted HIM
self, and fairly reveled in the melee
of augmentation. He swung his arms
and used his index finger as freely as
anybody. Nor was he a whit behind
in the noisy expression of his senti-
ments. Full latitude was given, and
the battle waXed warm and furious.
Its main feature was an encounter be-
tween Joseph CT. Cannon and William
P. Hepburn. The strenuous statesman
from Iowa championed the measure
and the strenuous statesman from IL
hnois assaulted his position. 1t was the
continuation Of a conflict that began
in the Fifty-fifth Congress, was con-
tinued in the Firty-sixth, and has at
last been settled in the Fifty-seventh
The man from Illinois unlimbered all
his guns, and met with a disastrous
repulse. So complete was the defeat
that he was unable to secure the yeas
and nays on motion to recommit the
bill. Yet it must be confessed that
there was great deal of sterling COM
mon sense in his argument in favor of
recommittal
But it was a battle royal. Wit and
sarcasm were at a premium and Per
sonalities We're as thick and singing
as horse flies in dog days. Mr.. Cam
burn was the fact that he had with
held his opening speech for revision,
and that it had not appeared in the
Congressional Record The Illinois
man wanted the printed speech as the
basis for his attack upon the bill. He
had asked for it's printing on the pre-
Vious day, but the Iowa man had not
seen fit to oblige him. Neither the
opening nor closing speech of the
strenuous statesman from the Hawk
eye State appeared in the record until
long after the bill had passed the
House and been sent to the Senate.
Possibly this saved it from being torn
into shoe strings by the infuriatei
Joseph. The discussion was more
than fruitful. In the heat of his argu-
ment Mr.. Cannon astonished his own
colleagues by remarking: IF 1 had
the power this minute. 1 would take
off every cent of the so-called war
taxes" These words were uttered in
the ears of Serene E. Payne chairman
of the Ways and Means, who sat lust
below him. Payne smiled cynically,
while the majority of the House broke
Into unrestrained applause. And no
man applauded more theoretically than
Joseph w. Babcock, of Wisconsin.
When the vote was taken there was
another surprise. Loren Fletcher of
Minnesota, Hepburn's lieutenant in the
Committee on Interstate and Foreign
Commerce, was one of the two mem
bers who cast his vote against the bill
Mr.. Cannon, however, with rare pril-
dence, voted for it.
While the discussion was raging a
strenuous statesman from Texas devel- |
oped himself He was George F. Bur
CESS, new member, representing the
Galveston district. Tall and slim and. |
clad in a closely buttoned frock coat,
he has the traditional fore-lock of n
born orator. 1t falls over his brow in
the fervor of his argument and adds
emphasis to his gestures. 1t is a Ma
poleonic lock. Roscoe Conkling had it,
and so had stephen A. Douglas, Roger
-. fancy and William Mckinley.
twice did the Texan enforce attention.
Ihere was no nervousness about him.
and he seemed TO the manor born. His
arms and hands had free play, and so
had his intellect. A fine speaker, Bur
CESS Is imbued with the true American
spirit. He practically babe defiance to