The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-01-29
(By George Dav,..,

Bismarck, N. D., Jan. 29.-Majority
leader Sorley came in for turn
down on Saturday when he attempted
to prevent the appointment of page
for the house. The story of the mat
ter is pathetic. John Cox is an orphan
living in Bismarck, both his father
and mother being dead, and the lad
being compelled to hustle largely for
himself. He is assisted by kindly dis
posed people who know him, and
though not more than ten years of
age, he is bravely battling for start
in life. He had seen other boys act
ing as pages and drawing two dollars
day and decided that he would make
bold struggle for a position. He
came into the hall of the house and
asked some of the members to let
him be page. He made his re-
quest to Representative Stevens and
Mockler, both of whom knew him and
we're aware Of the struggle in life and
they gave him willing ear. When
the house reconvened after the recess
during which the request had been
made, Jr. Stevens asked the speaker
to appoint the boy page in the house.
To this Mr.. sorley objected on the
grounds of economy and then the bat
tie was on Mr.. Stevens sprang to his
feet and in ringing tones called the
leaders, attention to the fact that it
was not an exhibition of high states
man ship to allow dozens to employees
to be entered on the pay roll of the
house at the instance of the committee
of which Mr.. Sorley was chairman and
then attempt to practice economy
when an orphan boy asked to be plac-
ed on the same as page when he
(Sorley) knew that more pages were
needed in the house. With wither-
ing sarcasm he stated that such
things might be done by the gentle
man from Grand Forks but so long
as he had voice and vote it could
not be done with this boy who stood
in the isle at the side of the desk
with wondering eyes and probably
unconscious of the battle that was
raging over his first attempt to Sc
cure recognition. Representative
Mockler followed his colleague and
while he discussed the merits of the
case and impassionately called the
house to witness that he had never
asked from it the appointment of any
one except an orphan who depended
largely on the charity of those who
knew of his condition, to supplement
his own puny efforts to make his way
in the world, he called the attention
Of majority leader to the fact that
there were already persons on the pay
roll of the house who seemingly had
nothing to do and who were giving
little return for the salary received,
it was not in the minds of the men,
bers to practive economy on boy
who was seeking the position because
he needed 1t. The speaker had in the
meantime called attention to the
fact that under the former order of
the house he did not have the power
to appoint any pages, and that it
could only be done by vote of the
house. The suggestion was at once
caught and a motion was Immediate
ly made to have the boy appointed a
page, and when the vote was put, every
member seemed determined to make
his vote the loudest and there was
no mistake the temper of the house
or the spirit of the members. Not a
single vote was recorded against the
appointment, and the incident passed
into history as another rebuke to the
leader.
When the storm clouds had to some
extent cleared, the speaker called at
tention to the spirit of the rules of the
house which prohibited the members
from making charges against each
other on the floor which reflected up
on the character of the members and
stated that he hoped. that even in the
heat of debate they would not again
occur. Incidentally it can be said that
once during the debate on the refer
ence of the Buttz resolution, the house
technically got out of order, and while
the speaker had the matter in hand
and was completely master Of the
situation, some of the matters were
out of order. There is one thing
that can be said concerning Speaker
Twitchell. If he is unfair or wavers
from the exact line Of the duty of a
presiding officer, it is toward those
who are, out of the chamber, his polit-
ical opponents. In some instances
there have been Indications that he
was disposed to be more than fair
with them and in case of doubt they