Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-20
QUIET AFTER STORM
Gossip at the Capitol of Yes
terday's Fracas.
De ARMOND IN THE HOUSE
Minority Leader Williams Fails to
Appear.
REAL CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE
Claimed That the Gentleman From
Missouri Was Disappointed in
Minority Leadership Fight.

All WAS quiet around the House emu OF
the Capitol this morning the pugilistic
storm of yesterday apparently having
completely blown over. There being no
session of the House today, the floor of
the chamber was practically deserted. but
every democratic craft that sailed through
the lobby and dropped anchor in the
cloakroom was flying the information to
communicate signal.
1t was something scandalous. the num-
Der of post-mortems that were held on
the Williams-De Almond row today. Ev-
cry man who saw the scrap yesterday
and some who didn't wanted to describe 1t
all over again. to tell just how many
times the minority leader beat his rival
over the top-knot, and Just how many in
efectual swats at the ambient were made
by the enraged gentleman from Missouri.
De Almond on Hand.
Mr.. Williams didn't come around the
Capitol today. but Mr.. De Almond was
Johnny -the-spot. He came through the
main door about 1890 o'clock, strode SOL
emnly through the corridor, and went in
on the House floor. Once there he cast
his eagle eye around, picked out a con-
spicuously prominent chair on the demo-
cratic side, dropped into it, dug his heels
into the carpet. opened a morning paper
with bang and proceeded to read the
story of how he and his colleague had
endeavored, sincerely and enthusiastically
to beat each other up. Mr.. De Almond re-
minded one OF the school boy the day
after a scrap in the schoolhouSe YARD
showing up just to make it plain that he
wasn't even a little bit scared. He looked
all right, too, except for bunged-up nose
and an atmosphere of abiding gloom
Some folks who saw Mr.. Williams this
r1tv =. No. <pI 1~<. = xyt,n,-
Mr.. De Almond hit him and then hokec
his finger-nails in the flesh.
Sentiment at the Capitol.
Opinion seems to be pretty evenly di.
vided as to the merits of the case. Mr.
Williams probably has a little bit the
best of the sentiment on the democratic
side. The fireeaters think Mr.. DeArmont
did perfectly right to call the minorit!
leader a liar if he really believed that t.
be the fact, and they likewise think tina
Mr.. williams did perfectly right to re
sent 1t by punching Mr.. DeArmond in tn,
nose. But every one regrets exceedingl!
more quiet and secluded spot than the
floor Of the House of Representatives. AS
one conservative minority member put il
this morning. every time there is a per-
sonal row in the Senate or House it's sure
to be democrats. Why, 1t is Just as Ger.
die Of the night and hears a fearful row
ing and squalling an caterwauling out ir
his back yard that it's cats. When mar
punches another one in the nose and the
punchee grabs for the other fellows eye
I'd know, just by hearing the details
even II I were at the north pole, that q
couple of democrats were loose again
There seems to be something in the prin-
ciple Of our party that give a man the
desire to bung noses and black eyes and
soak somebody else with his punched
knuckles. 'Tis sad but true"
A False Alarm.
A couple of newspaper men who were
strolling around the floor of the House
this morning. looking over the battlefield
and trying to find relics and mementos II
the shape of splintered furniture, BLOOD
spots and suspender buttons. thought they
had run into another row. They stopped
for a moment near the main door t.
glance into the democratic cloak room anc
saw a heavyweight minority man with hi:
arm around the neck Of another demo
crat and apparently trying to get tha
democrats head under his arm in a goot
punching position. And they were abou
to rush heroically to the rescue-in the
direction of the telegraph office-whe1
they heard the big man say:
Yes. sub. / grabbed him round the
neck just like this and jest as he wa:
reachin foh his gun, I pulls my knife ant
cut off his ear"
Likely to Be Dropped.
IT'S not thought the Williams-De Ar
mond row will be resumed. The next time
the distinguished representatives from
Mississippi and Missouri meet on the foo
Of the House. they will glare at eacf
other with barred teeth and flashing eyes
And they will mutter things in an under
breath. And then each will go his sep
arate way, and surrounded by friends
will paint the other in glowing terms o.
pure, but powerful profanity. This will
be the case for d while, when gradually
the pull of politics and the strong cement
Of a common interest may knit theil
lacerated friendship into something which
at least approaches the semblance OF
peace and amity.
There have been a good many rows
In Congress at one time or another
some of them resulting In personal en-
counters and some of them stopping
short Of this fruitful end, but ordf-
rarily things are smoothed over in
course of time and in the ordinary
routine of business
Alleged Cause Of Trouble.
Some folks who think they know are
telling today the story of the old
preacher who was sent to pacify tur-
1ulenI memDeI Ol HIS hoCh, d iittth " iiO
was enraged at another member of the
flock, and had expressed a desire to
eat his heart because of some ostensi-
bIy slight difference of opinion that
had arisen between them. The old
preacher went on his mission, but came
back on the jump with his hair stand
ing on end and when asked what was
the matter he replied feelingly:
You can't pacify that man, because
he amt mad at what he says he's mad
at. He's mad at something that he
saws he amt mad at. And when a
mans mad at something he amt mad
at, and amt tellin' what he is mad at
then there amt no use trying TO bring
him round"
That's what's the matter with Mr.. De
Armond, according to the views OF
some of Mr.. Williams friends and 9th
ers. They point to the fact that De
Almond had many votes pledged to
him for the minority leadership-but no,
enough. They say he Is an able man
with his life's ambition frustrated, and
that this little affair over which the
two men fought-the matter of the as
signment of a congressional kid to a
relatively unimportant committee-was
simply the last straw. De Almond
wanted ways and means. they say, and
this famed the flame. So they just
repeat the story of the old preacher
and say that DE Almond amt mad at
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