The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-12-24

News Of Interest about Congress
and Other Matters.
CONGRESSMAN HAsKINs SHINES
om onI speclal CoITrspondeni.

Washington. ID. G.. Dee. 90. 1905.
The congress got away last week FOL
the holidays without further rcbuks
from the president, though at the last
moment the senate came near ''snub
bing him IN TeiaTding the reception
OF number Of messages which the
secretary 10 the president brought
into the chamber just as the senate
convened.
The first daily business 81 the sen.
ate II The reading OF the Journal which
can only Ice dispensed with by unani.
nous consent. Not often. however, are
the FIRST Few lines read before some
member asks unanimous consent that
the reading be discontinued. where.
upon the regular business IL taken up.
Saturday u was different: the clerk
had gotten over few pages of the
Journal when Senator Gallinger OF
New Hampshire spied the president :
secretary with the messages, aud he
asked that the reading Of the journal
bc dispensed with. just one objection
was sufficient 10 block this request aud
this came from Senator Lodge Of Mas.
saehnsetts. lie bad reasons Of his own.
Notwithstanding his avowed sympathy
and support on all occasions for m.
read Ia consume time. no matter il il
did transgress established rules Of
legislative courtesy.
The reading continued till Senator
'ulbersOn Of Texas. the minority lead.
er, arose and looking straight 20 the
president : secretary. said: ~ have
special reason for asking that the read.
ing be suspended - 4 smile went
around the chamber. II object. y
again insisted Mr. Lodge. but in a few
minutes. when he saw the vice presi.
dent aiix his signature 10 bill which
had come IN from the house. in which
the senator had taken special interest. !
he calmly arose aud asked that further
with.
The presidents secretary thereupon
walked down the aisle. prepared To an. |
nounce the message, when unexpect. I
edly, Senator Gallinger jumped up and
objected.
II certainly began 10 look serious.
and the president secretary actually /
loked astounded; il was very un.
usual proceeding at least. and all the
more surprising because of the sen.
ate usual seeming obedience 10 the
strenuous wielder of the ''big stick. -
nat Lodge and Gallinger of all men
should be guilty of such apparent dis
respect TO the chief executive passed
he understanding Of their colleagues.
Senator Carter of Montana then at.
tempted 10 shut off the journal clerk.
lut this time Senator Burrows of
Michigan popped in 81 object aud
he senate again smiled and the gal.
eries burst into laughter Burrows is
lot credited with too much love for
he president. Senator Culberson
'gain took the floor to inform the sen.
ne that message had been received ,
rom the president and repeated his
equest TO have the journal laid aside. I
ms time, as If to cap the climax, /
senator Money Of Mississippi objected /
'hen the clerk went on reading the a
ntlre journal and when he had fin. !
shed, the president s secretary was AT i
asst recognized and formally delivered
ne president S official envelopes con. :
aiming the messages, but not till he 1
ad been Kept waiting for at least a \
uarter OF an hour, and so long. in b
act, that he was unable to deliver I
is messages TO the house, which had |
let and adjourned while the little /
lay was going on over in the senate n
nd which was hardly calculated to d
often the temper of the president, Il
no. according to some rumors. is pre-. a
arlng to stagger congress when he q
nswers their request for an explana. c,
on OF his destinations that the reason il
Dngress refused larger appropriation II
)r the. secret service was the fear lest
ielr. shortcomings be exposed. 1t is
lrmlsed that the house got away hur.
edly TO avoid any possible communi. W
ition from the white house, which -
lght disturb their happiness during IA
lie Christmas tide oN
When. on Friday last. the house had 81
solved itself into committee of the "
mole for the consideration of bills on III
e private calendar. with Townsend :!
Michigan in the chair, Congressman
askihs OF Vermont was recognized
"a TOOK the floor as. chairman of the :,
mmlttee on war claims. an
II, had been whispered about that a ~
lmber of important bills which had 10
en- before both houses of congress ~
7 40 years or more were to be con lls
Tered. which meant sharp and inter We
ing debate during the whole davis 90
ssion. And so it proved. for there nu
Is not a moment s cessation from ~
irt to finish. For FIVE long hours n.
ur invincible congressman from the y, 20
.ond district marshalled his forces. e .i
hIorced by overwhelming proof, in IN IN
FORM OF records and figures. meet. s 81,
! ~ questioning. OD1ecJl0nS II
q parleylng. for the purpose of de- 90
'lng, until finally when the gayel pei
i for adjournment and the result of at
:, nerve straining session was at an
4, It was found that Is of the "a :
IS mad been passed. leaving but 16 ~
be considered at another dav. when ~ ~
war claims committee shall be civ A.;
ahother opportunity to present wa
m. II was gratifying and unusual MO- MO-
/! dragged through successive de-. me
'tments including the highest G zoe
rts and various sessions of CONGRESS I'M I'M
ii now when sustained bv facts VII
cedents and the law. they had reg
ched the final decision and the sew. aii
! benefciares their resnective III
ards. WIN
Congressman Haskins naturally was WV; WV
recipient of generous and hearty fns
gratulations from his colleagues h loi
eral of whom recognized tbe ex' quo
stive and painstaking labor in II ts
we'd in the preparation of these H.
ration Nv 10 d hnns ih'eIllgent con- fror
e. sure to undergo the most search aeh
investigation before their PASSAGE
lawyer of recognized ability and r.
mlnence in the district, who has som
owed these bills through their de. -.
is wanderings, declared to num- -
OF congressman that Congress part
Haskins had proved himself not post
good lawyer but a mighty par mar
'ntarlan and it would have to be viii
lifted that he was the best chair the
the war claims committee has had fina
generation Tn this conpacf;on off q