The National tribune., 1908-06-04
lowing dit.y to Champ Clark, of MIS-


You may be Speaker some Cay,
BY and by.
Way down in old Missouri r.
Midst the corn so high.
If you're not Speaker. Champie.
Don't YOU cry!"
Some member with small tact started
Wen Rally Round the Flag Boys"
but when he attempted to "hurl the
rebel crew from the land we love the
best he was suddenly trailing along
by himself. and as he never had much
voice he lost the rest in stage fright,
and the song ended abruptly.
Home, Sweet Home" got a whirl or
two. and finally somebody started
Nearer. My God. to Thee" then all
hear three verses of it. A good strong
voice started in on the Star Spangled
Banner" and the flags waved furiously
as the members shrilied away at it,
Suddenly two white-gowned women in
the gallery got up and joined in on the
second line. Then everybody got up
and everybody sang. and sang as tho
they enjoyed it. 1t was a magnificent
volume of tune and tone which went up
and rolled around the seals of the States
in the glass ceiling. Some one from
the South with great big voice and
real 'darkey' dialect started Swing
Low, Sweet Chariot" and IL you shut
your eyes you thought sure you were in
negro camp meeting. Then he sang
a college song or two. mostly by himself,
for not many college men are in Con-
gress. and they do not know the songs.
Meantime everybody was weaving
around the hall. grabbing a tired mem
Der here and pulling him into line. or
sleepy one there and shaking him
into anger or huraor, II mattered not
which. and in the center of it all was
Kzsfa A..
singing what he knew and nodding his
head and keeping time with the waving
cOiors on what he did not know.
Then somebody started America"
Instantly the two white-gowned women,
one haiiing from Kansas, the other from
Boston. both newspaper women and
both Relief Corps women. rose to their
feet in the crowded galleries. and quick
ly the 2.080 or 5000 people in the gall
leries and on the floor were on their
feet. and the grand old National anthem
got a baptism of sound that was inspir-
ing. How they all did sing 1t seemed
as tho everybody could sing the first and
last verses. and they should always be
sung together.
In between little business was trans
acted, of course. The Secretary of the
President came in and kotowed till his
head touched the floor almost. and an
nounced "A. message from the Presi-
dent" and a mighty groan went up,
then everybody laughed. But the mes
sage" only meant that the President had
signed "sundry bills" Then the Secre-
tary of the Senate wandered in uncer-
tainly, his scant locks making a porcu-
pine sick as they went straight up in
the air at the awful levity that batted
his ears and nearly blinded his sight.
Glory. hallelujahl Do You reckon they
ever do things like that in the United
States Senate?
Well. hardly ever. and that only since
Tillman and Davis. he that is kin to
Jefferson Davis, President of the Late
Unpleasantness, broke into that august
body. -, $50.
Well the Secretary of the Senate, who
seems to be hinged in the middle, and
who can bend just so far and then
springs back again. made his bow and
murmured about things that the Senate
had done; then the Speaker took the
papers and laid them before the House.
and the clerks roared them out in the
confusion, and the House agreed to
them.
Then the committee appointed to wait
on the President and ask him if he had
anything more to lay before Congress
returned, and reported in brief that the
President replied. Nit" (The Presi-
dent was IN his room over on the Senate
side, having lot of fun between sigma
tures.)
And the time had come to adjourn,
Somebody started God Be With You
Till We Meet Again." but really. you
know. it was keyed in high &C." and
became excrutiatingly funny before the
last one petered out on that horribly
high "M-e-e-e-e--et,' and the Speaker
banged it into silence with left-handed
grip of the gavel.
Gentlemen of the House." said he,
"the time is near for adjournment.
want to thank the membership of the
House for its uniform courtesy to its
presiding officer We all take rpride. in
the national House of Representatives,
/ have served in many Congresses. The
personnel of the Sixtieth Congress is
quite equal to that Of any in which I
have had the honor to serve. We have
differences in our views as to policies,
and ought to have. The function of the
minority is only second in Importance
TO that of the majority. Looking at
the majority side of the House I con-
graduate it for its fidelity to public
duty. to the principles of the party
which it represents for the common
good. Looking at the minority side
of the House l congratulate it for de-
votion to its policies
During the session. at times. there
has been much of conflict and with
always be much of conflict between
men of different views, but out
of this conflict comes the safety of
the republic
At wish you safe journey home, and
that you may return one and all in full
health and vitality at the meeting of
the second session of the Sixtieth Con-
gress.''
Then in slow, low and mighty
solemn tones he announced the First
date" Then the newspaper
and everybody helped.
And that is just little five hours
stunt of Congressman, at play.
What wonderful thing it is, and
what a wonderful people we have when
our statesmen can for SO brief a space
let real nature have its sway and be-
come gentle. genial. comradely and even
loving, in the hours which close long.
Earring, faetional fight on political
measures.
Truly it is. after all. country of "one
language and one flag."se
CHANGES IN THE PENSION ROLL.
The following statement shows the
in the pension roll during the
month of April. 1905:
Number pensioners March 81,
1908 ............ 954,613
Gains to roll
Originals ............. 1881
Sestorauons .......... IL
Renewals ........... IA