Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-25
hIat

is great deal in this thing of being COM
fortable!"
Mr.. HARRISON of Georgia obtained the floor
by the courtesy of Mr.. Embree and moved
that the committee rise. Mr.. Greeley asked
him to withhold the motion that he might,
by the courtesy of Mr.. Emhree, make a
brief reply to the illusions which had been
made 10 him and his course upon the sub
ject. He asked only for five minutes, but
Mr. HARRISON, with marked discourtesy, ad-
hered to his motion, and the committee rose
reporting mo conclusion.
Ten days afterward the subject came up
again, and after a speech by Mr.. Venable,
Mr.. Greeley obtained the floor and, amid fire.
quent Interruptions and unusual excitement,
advocated reform. Among those who inter-
rupted him in the most insulting manner
was Mr.. Turner of Illinois. To one of these
Interruptions Mr.. Greeley replied severely:
mo, 1 shall use no such language; it Is not
used by gentlemen in my section OF the
country" Though constantly badgered, an
noyed and insulted, Mr.. Greeley kept his
temper and even came off victor over Mr..
Schenck in contest of wits.
1t Is worthy of remark that the rage
manifested against Mr.. Greeley by members
of the House was generally in proportion to
their excess of mileage. The reform In
the law which he had in view was for the
time defeated, but the usual routes Of
travel" were very much less circuitous than
But Mr.. Greeley's life for the remainder of
the session was made miserable by every
species of attack. One of these attacks be-
came famous under the name of the Bat
tie of the Books The Thirtieth Congress
had, at it's former session, when Mr.. Greeley
was not member, voted Itself the books
which it had for years been the custom to
purchase for each new member. consisting
OF American Archives, Debates in Con-
gress, etc, now swelled, by enormous
charges, to a cost of about $1,000 per an
mum per man. The books had been or
dered and bought; nothing remained but to
pay for them. Mr.. Greeley had determined
to vote against this item when the bill con-
tanning 1t came up In the House, though he
knew It must be paid; for he apprehended
shat the advocates of what were called lib
eral appropriations would seek to make
capital out OF his voting for such an item.
Yet when the usual deficiency bill was rap
idly going through the House in committee
OF the whole, the members being called
upon a dozen times In twenty minutes to
vote (by rising for or against some motion
or item, a mischievous neighbor called to
Mr.. Greeley, "There-you've voted for the
books" Mr.. Greeley never denied that he
had; he simply didn't know whether he had
or not, but presumed that he had been
caught mapping. AS there had already been
much debate in the House on the point In
question, this unfortunate elimination of
the matter was made the basis of many
venomous filings at Mr.. Greeley, concerted
effort being made to involve him In glaring
inconsistency on the subject
paper was even drawn up for sigma
lures for the expulsion of the great editor.
hut the movement was crushed by a terse
In terrogatory remonstrance from John
Wentworth then a leading democrat
| Why. you blessed FOOLS" warmly in
CURED Long John" as he was called"
do you want to make him President7'
They didn't.