Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-03
Personal Encounters Were Not
At All Uncommon Fifty
Years Ago.
WILLIAMS AND De ARMOND.
Their Battle Has Started Reminis-
ccnces About Former Combats
Rep. Edwards Speech.
(snecinl 10 the oNoma-,l

Washington, Dec. 81 ,-Representative
Edwards is a new member OF the house
from the Savannah district of Georgia.
Ten minutes were allowed him the 9TH
er day to make a few remarks on the
all important question to his section of
returning to the states the big cotton
tax that was levied by the United
states government during the Civil
war. Both Republicans and Democrats
became unusually frolicsome while he
had the floor. Most new members
would have been ratified but not so
with Edwards. He stood the fun that
was poked at him heroically, for he
mad a purpose In view. Just after the
venerable and long experienced Colonel
Lester died. the voters of the district
sent Mr. Overstreet to Washington
to represent them. He had only part
of term. Now he is after the seat
Of Edwards. That is why the latter
wanted to get in speech early on the
cotton tax. Thunderous applause
greeted his leading points. For in
stance, when he said, Il am the son of
private Confederate soldier" the
members cheered on both sides. They
whooped when he said this was at
last united country" and fairly
went wild over his declaration that this
Is the greatest country on the face of
the earth, etc. But Edwards got leave
TO extend his remarks, and. with what
he actually did say interspersed with
so much loud applause. he will be able
TO show his constituents that he is a
bigger man In Congress than they
really supposed.
HE DOESN'T BELONG.
Poor Peter Porter!" That's what
lots of the congressman are saving
since the house committees have been
announced. Peter is the man who de-
feated Representative Wadsworth up
IN western New York last year after
Nadsworth had served nearly twenty
years. Porter was shut out of both
party caucuses on arriving here and
old Uncle Joe was actually mean
enough to assign him to the ridiculous
house committee known as ventilation
and acoustic. That's worse than be-
ing on no committee at all Porter
ran as an independent candidate. Re-
publicans disown him, and in placing
his name on the list OF members it is
printed, by order of the house of ,ers
IN italics That. indicates that a man
is a Democrat
THE REToRT COURTEOUS.
A story is being told on Representa-
tive Cushman of the state of Washing
ton to the effect that one OF his admir-
ing constituents claimed he was the
best man at repartee on the Pacific
slope. How so?" this man was asked,
We'll. one day" he replied, "Cush-
man was making speech before TO-
600 people. There was a fellow in the
audience who did not agree with Cush- |
man in anything he said Finally the |
fellow asked the congressman an i'm |
pertinent question. Cushman, to show
how quick he is at repartee, yelled
back at him, Shut your burned
mouth" That was a squelcher
FIST FIGHTS ONCE COMMON.
The encounter between Congressman
Williams and De Almond the other
day in the hall in the house OF repre-
sentatives causes the oldest Inhabitants
to remark that fist fights among con-
gressmen are rare thinlS compared
with the happenings in the capitol 30 |
or more years ago Then it was n COM
mon thing TO hear of them and right In |
the midst of debates in the two
branches. Duels were common also IN,
those days The Williams-De Almond |
battle brings to mind that there was in
the Fiftieth Congress a representative |