The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1906-05-10
Exit the Old.


When Galiei said. The world
moves" he was not thinking of the
| United States senate. but nevertheless
his celebrated dictum applies to that
body which iS sometimes styled the
| most august" In it Wis inertiae is ut
the maximum, but even it moves. For
| decades--in fact. alb urbe condita--it
had been the rule until late years that
new senators should experience Il
novitiate. should for Il certain period
remain silent in the presence of their
seniors. take Il back seat and tarry at
Jericho till their boards were grown,
under penalty of being sat upon heav-
lily. and unanimously if they violated
the hoary precedents. But change is
written on all things human. and in
course of time even that conSccrated
rule had to give way. Just who was
the first to infract it may not be stated
with precision. Perhaps it was John
Griffin Carlisle, once OF Kentucky. now
of New York. Whoever was the
pioneer in breaking it, it is now only
IL "Reminiscences New senators in this
year of our Lord and Master 1906 enter
the oratorical lists whenever the spirit
moves them. and. truth to tell. they APP
pear to hold their own with the patri
archs. Joseph Weldon Bailey of Texas,
though still in his first term, looms
large on the senatorial horizon. leading
the Democratic contingent in the rail
road rate bill, momentous question.
He now ranks among the great con-
stitutional lawyers, not of this era only,
but of all time. EX-Attorney General
Phiander G. Knox spoke like Il vet
eran on the same bill, or, to use II
popular newspaper pleonasm, like IAN
old veteran This is the second sena
torial year for the Pennsylvania.
Senator Rayner of Maryland SHE'D his
castor into the ring and won immense
applause. He is just beginning his
second year Senator Francis q. New
lands OF Nevada, bright, graceful,
scholarly, philosophic, the father of the
irrigation bill, spoke as though he was
seasoned to senatorial manners.
Then came Ex-Governor Robert NJ
La Toilette of Wisconsin, who demon
Strated how completely the old senate
rule has fallen into "innocuouS desue-
tude' by speaking somewhat more
than two days on the rate bill. The
fact that the conscript fathers treated
him with such scant courtesy that most |
of them left the chamber when he be-
gan only drew the more attention to
the pugnacious Bob. Up in Wisconsin
the Spooner faction think that his prop |
er appelution is Robert lie Diable."
| heard him for an hour of his three |
strated thoroughly that he is master of !
his subject and if the Republicans do |
not look cut he Is liable to be master |
OF their side of the senate. 1t was dur
ing that hour that La Toilette called |
attention TO the fact that his senatorial
brethren wore giving him the marble !
heart by temporarily vacating their
seats, which he intimated might be
permanently vacated, so far as the
present occupants are concerned, so
soon as the people come to understand
the true inwardness of the situation
This was received with uproarious ap-
plause by the crowded galleries, which
so outraged the tender feelings of Sen
ator Kean OF New Jersey that he asked
that the galleries be cleared" They
were not cleared but simply 'ad-
monished." BY actual count there We're
exactly ten senators present during
that episode, but others came trooping
in. Ey! lently Hon. Robert NJ. La FO.-
lette brought his nerve with him to
Washington.