Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-11
TESTING THE VOICES.
Candidates for Reading Clerk Of the
Senate Heard.

The Presidents message was read in the
Senate again yesterday-at least a part OF
it was. And 1t was read over and over
again. that part. in more kinds of voices
than a Presidents message ever expert.
enced before. in all probability. Loiterers
in the gallery about 80 p. m. heard deep
growl Of a voice repeating slowly and with
the utmost elaboration, "No-nation-has-
greater - resources - than ours and
I-think-it-can-be-t etc.
Then followed, in rumble like that of a
train crossing covered bridge, No ma
tion-has- greater resources-than-ours and
I-think-it-can be truthfully- said-that-the-
citizens of no nation -possess-greater-e en-
rgy-and-industrial-abil
Senator Burkett Of Nebraska leaned
back in his seat and smiled. Then he
turned around and smiled at Senator jeff
Davis seat.
But Senator Davis did not smile back;
there was no Senator Davis to smile. In
fact, there was no other senator in the
chamber but Mr.. Burkett The man who
occupied Senator Davis seat smiled back,
however. and then said in distinct, COM
handing tone, THAT will do
II there had been any other senators in
the chamber Mr.. Burkett would probably
not have smiled at the opening sentence OF
luc IICSlucltl . uuOSl TeCSuI message tO
Congress. He would not have been SO dis
courteous. Besides, as matter of fact,
he wasn't smiling at the message at ALL
but at that voice.
The man who occupied Senator Davis
seat was Charles G. Bennett. secretary OF
the Senate, who Is trying to find a suit
able set of vocal cords with which to sup
plement the reading force Of the Senate.
Seven out of about fifty candidates were
tested yesterday after the adjournment OF
were from the Capitol Others are ex-
pected later from various parts of the
country. some as far away as Washington
and Utah. Each one will have to follow
Mr.. Benefits instructions and Read fast
and slow, and high and low from that
Meanwhile the secretary will do as he
did yesterday-sit back there in Mr.. JET
Davis seat, because it Is the last on the
center aisle. and occasionally put marks
thing is over four or five of the most
promising candidates will be tried out be-
fore the Senate, and then the Senate Will
elect a new reading clerk.
All the latest things in voices were on
exhibition yesterday. There was the baSso
profundo. the high soprano, the tenor. the
contralto and the baritone. How the his
toric old chamber stood it all is wonder.
Mr.. Bennett did not stand it at all well:
he was distinctly in a highly nervous state
when the first days ordeal was over. AS
for Senator Burkett and Senator Dolliver.
both Of whom were in the chamber at Diff
ferent times during the course Of the read
ing. they stayed near the door, and both
were seen to leave rather hurriedly.
Once Mr.. Bennett asked a candidate to
read as fast as he could, observing the
punctuation marks. The candidate start
ed. He said If and then stuck. 1t
seemed a year before he began again,
only to stick once more after, going the
distance of about two more lines. Fright
had overcome him, and it was no use. An
other man, who had the proportions of the
late Speaker Reed of the House. OF Repre-
sentatives, was asked to read In a high
voice. The volume of sound that issued
forth nearly lifted the roof of the cham
Der, and Mr.. Bennett had to spend severa!
minutes waving his arms frantically to
make him stop.