The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-23
JOE AMUSES WILLIAMS
AND KEEPS HOUSE QUIET WHEN
HE COINTS 4 QUORt W..
That's why He Requests II SO OFTEN, the
Minority Leader Explains. and Resents
I%nsinuations That the Count Isn't
Corrcct-TeIs n story TO the Point.

InsinuatiOns Inat the Souht !
Corrcct-TeIs n story 10 the Point.
WASHINGTON, May 22,-The disposition
which Minority Leader Williams fancies
he sees in some newspapers to make merry
over the counting Of a quorum in the House
OF Representatives by the Speaker. made
necessary by his frequent demands for the
presence Of a quorum, induced that gentle
man to occupy the time and attention OF
the House to-day with a brief defence of
Speaker Cannon's method and his W
policy.
He read an editorial article describing
one of the numerous Incidents which have
amused the members, and commented:
There has not been "A time when the
Speak er has counted a quorum that have
not been aware that there was a quorum
in the House at the time. | do not want
the idea to go abroad, in justice to myself,
that if the Speaker should undertake to
announce a quorum When none was present
it would strike me as a humorous pro-
ceedine. MOI do | want the idea to go
abroad that the man who has served the
country 80 long aud faithfully and so hon
sstlv will undertake to a quorum
if it were not present.
"We have our laughs and our jokes abou
counting Quorums, and we specially have
our laugh about the manner in which the
Speaker jerks his gavel while he is doing
il: but | do not believe for one moment,
and | know that nobody else believes for
one moment, that he would violate the
sacred, fundamental and constitutional re-
oulrement Of the manner in which we must
carry on our Government, or that he would
regard that violation as a matter of humor,
and I want nobody to believe that he would.
I'VE have our fun in the House, and Wa
ought to nave it We are grown up boys,
as all men are. Sometimes ! am reminded
when the Speaker counts a quorum, his
Characteristic way Of doing it, of a story
l heard not long g about a lady, a man
with a watch and a small child. In calling
for a count | am afraid sometimes ! am
actuated by pretty much the SINE motives
as was this lady: who repeatedly asked the
was crying. and the man-they were all
in the railroad station had IL watch. He
had a spasmodic, ~convulsive sort of way
of moving his countenance, and when the
child saw it at work he stopped crying, fell
into a good humor and began to laugh,
The lady discovered this method OF
keeping the child quiet. In n few minutes
the little fellow was crying again and the
lady went back to the man and said: Mis-
ter, | beg your pardon, but will you tell mo
! the time again. Being a courteous man,
he told her again, The third time she came
and then a fourth, after short intervals.
The fifth time the man said Madam, it
seems to me that You ought TO remember
the time five minutes | 10 not object to
| telling you. but why are you 10 anxious to
get the time every five or ten minutes
- "Sha .,iI, 'lftStar mn, moi nStipy hn-
cause I want to know the time, but the move
ments of your countenance amuSe my baby
so that it is about the only thing that keeps
him quiet laughter
so sometimes | expect | want a quorum
| counted because the movement of the
Speakers gavel amuse me and keep the
House quiet. and puts everybody in a good
humor. But | want the country TO under
stand that nobody in the House OF Repre-
sentatives is laughing at or making a joke
Of the requirements of the fundamental
law of the republic Of tho United States"
tApplause.l