The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-03-17

aftes 81, On this psfarhernaiif again iis-
appears inside thatfdeslA and all thAt vii,
Be LETT on the desk e @s ~Fitins pad and
few nsw'Dapsr.. t ! |. & ss!lDOiass.
Then he begins p caal the pages Of the
sent for carnation. il 30 happens that
Gen. Grosvenor is devoted to the wearing
Of deep-pink carnatioa. which he usually
gets from q page, The carnation brought
to him, he carefully trims the stem, clips
IT to the proper length and adjusts it In
the left lapel buttophole. By this time the
books have arrived, and he applies himself
and apparently forgetting everything else
Suddenly another page is called. He
PUSHES of and soon comes back bearing
glass OF water on small china saucer
Gen. Grosvenor takes q sip or two, and
everybody knows that he is going to get
on his feet very soon.
Suddenly he dives down into that desk
again. This time he brings to light
small square tin box, and out OF it he
takes old-fashioned mint stick" candy.
He usually passes it around to immediate
colleagues, and very often members who
have sweet tooth saunter over and ask
him for Slick" Then Gen. Grosyenor
drinks more water empties the glass, calls
page, gives an order, and soon the page
is back with something stronger. Lem
onade! You can tell it By the color.
The day-last Wednesday, to be exact
when the so-called Bristow report set
the House by the ears, Gen. Grosyenor
was loaded for bar He was indeed. He
did not sit down at his desk, quietly, and
hunt for data, he just rampaged up and
down the aisles, and actually went over
thu nnnn0ro rio cian 70
some members over there. He ordered a
glass Of water. It was brought, and be
feverishly drank 1t all. The glass was
sent back and soon appeared with more
water in 1t. He went down into the
cellar" but didn't seem to find what he
was looking for. Then he got up and be-
gan to pace the aisles again. He stopped
whom went down into the cellars in their
desks, and some shook their heads. Pres
emily he went back to his desk with
small white box in his hands. He had
been seeking cough dropsr'
Word was carried to the cloak-rooms
that "Grosvenor" was thanking up" The
Ohio statesman called another page. The
water-glass was toted away and back
came a glass of lemonade. Cough drops
and lemonade occupied the Generals at
tention for q few moments. More
water! Then more lemonadel Then
more stick candyi Meantime Gen.
Grosvenor's face was getting more Horid,
and his manner more aggressive. Mem
bers crowded around him. He shook his
head sayagely, he gesticulated emphati-
cally: If anybody was trying to placate
him it was time and breath thrown away.
He was just plain mad clear through, and
he was perfectly willing that everybody
should know 1t. Meantime the members
wandered In and out of the cloak rooms
waiting developments "Grosvenor would
sound the keynote" they said, and they
meant to follow where he led. Another
glass Of water! Then the tanking-up pro-
cess was ended. g..
Gen. Grosvenor was, recognized. The
House was full, not an empty chair ex-
cepting that bla ok dTaped one OF the mem
Der who had just died. The galleries
were packed. The Press Gallery was
crowded to the limit An interesting in
cident was on the tapis, according to all
established precedents u It came of de-
cording to schedule. -
When Gen. Grosvenor arose IN his place
he was greeted with a perfect ovation OF
cheers and applause. For two minutes
he was not permitted to open his mouth.
but stood bowling and smiling like q debu-
tante prima donna I'm the hour Of her first
triumph. Such q thing has rarely been
witnessed in the House. Gen. Grosvenor
began by waving aloft New York news
paper; from which he proceeded to read
an editorial which fairly convulsed the
House. 1t referred to Speaker Cannon
and Representatives Payne and Hill as
having been taken '.red handed" in Post
Office graft; but, speaking seriously. Gen
Gresvenor said it was in accord with the
views OF 05 per cent. OF the newspapers
OF the country. The libeler in this case
should be forced to walk, he declared. The
report, he continued, was a malicious libel
upon 191 members Of the House and
Senate. II submit" said he, that the in
yestigation which the gentleman from In
diana (Mr. Overstreet) has been apoli-
giving for is an outrage and q violation OF
every principle Of justice"
After about 80 minutes Of this character
OF talk Gen. Grosvenor wound up by say
ing that il "the Post Office Department
had some Official whose judgment was 30
dwarfed by the opinion Of Congressman
the official had better be turned ont" he
declared. "The Bristow report" he said in
conclusion, was born in iniquity and con-
ceived in sin, and had travelled its course
until it had struck the public OF the United
States as great attack upon body Of
men, as ne DefleVeQ, as Tree from wrong
doing, corruption, crime and irregularity
as any equal number Of men on the face
OF the EARTH"
The business Of the House stopped for
about five minutes for Gen. Grosvenor's
friends, who seemed to be about az often
Democratic as otherwise, tumbled over
each other to reach his hand and to con-
gratulate him.
- r
Then came Mr.. Hill (Conn.), generally
a very conservative man. He declared.
dramatically, that he would waire his
rights as member of Congress to declare
that the author OF this report sis a liar
and a scoundrel." Which is certainly
pretty stiff talk to go unrebuked.
Representative William Walton Kitchin
IN. Co., discussing this all-absorbing
topic, said: ut il an attempt in my judg-
ment, to blackmail Congress-, to silence
Congress, and to silence the country; it is
a species Of intimidation"
Mr.. Cooper Wis.,: mo member
OF the House Of Representatives
whose name IL on the list, as
my name is, coupled with that
OF A. w. Machen, whom the country
and the world knows to be convicted
feion on his way to the penitentiary, has