The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-02
Times Dispatch Bureau,
Munsey Building.
yyashin.vton, ID. G.. Mnrch


Washington, d. c.. March i.
John Dalzell, OF Pennsylvania, long
time member OF Congress from the
Pittaburg district. commonly known as
the High Priest of Protection, better
known to many Southern people AS
the man who ever since his entrance
into the House OF Representatives has
stretiuously resisted the proposal to
remove the tariff duty on cotton ties
the sheet-iron bands used to hold In
place the bagging cotton bales-
though standing always for free cotton,
| Is "A steadfast believer In the doctrine
that In love and war and politics all
| Is. far.
This was demonstrated the other day
when he was making political speech
OH the floor of the House, and quoted
| a resolution introduced at a meeting
| OF the Virginia Democratic Association
of the District of Columbia last fall
| de nouncing william j. Bryan in Ian
lgtlage which should not appear IN type
fen promiscuous reading Mr.. DalZell
ssud the association had adopted the
resolution. The association did not adopt
aay such resolution. 1t Is not recalled
that the body even voted ON tie reso-
luton. which was proposed by an
| cratic member of the association, prob
! ably without the thought or the desire
| Of its adoption.
| Representative Dalzell is looked on
by Republicans of the Houhe as pos
! sibly the sblest man on that side. 1t is
utterly impossible for many more or
jlcss nonparcisan spectators of congress
sional proceedings to agree with his
party cole agues. Mr.. Dalzel1 Is a
| tariff expert. but as his only view of
the protective tariff is taiat 1t should
| be made still higher. it is manifest
THAT study and research and diligent
burning OF the midnight oil is unneces-
sary in order to enable him to maintain
his reputation. He has an unfortunate
,ly disagreeable voice, keyed several
notes higher than that of the average
lmember. and this makes 1t unpleasant
to listen to him for any length
| of time. Mr.. Dalzeu has beer
In Congress twenty years, ant
| during every day OIL that time
he has represented special inter-
ests to the practical exclusion o.
the masses of the people OF the coun
try. He has long cherished the ambi
ton to be Speaker of TIE House. 1t !:
an ambition he will never sec ggratified
Els personal popularity is less thar
that of almost any me rriber on his side
/ 49,
his colleagues to size him up.
| To speak of Dalzell always suggests
Serene f. Payne. the Republican floor
leader. Dalzell has seat Immediately
In rear OF Mr.. Payne. and Is the sec
ond in command of the forces of the
House. Moses was slow to speech and
ne,u.I Aaron to do his talking.
Payne needs Dalzell, and Dalzen
is always ready. Representative
EDe Almond, of Missouri, said some
years ago that the Republicans
of the House were fortunate in
possessing in Dalzell man ready
at all times too anything con-
! ceivable to carry out the wishes of the
majority; that when the Republicans
| of the House agreed that something
| should be done so utterly vicious that
lit could rot be defended. Dalzell was
! always called on and was always ready
| to be put to the front to advocate the
| iniduity.
That was in the better days OF Mr..
De Almond, when his appearance on
Ibis feet was the signal for the galleries
to fill up, and the absent members
telling stories in the cloak rooms to
| hustle to their seats to listnn to the
| MissOurfan.
His mastery of the art OF invective
was unsurpassed in those days. In
deed, there has hardly been a man in
Congress in its history who could sur
pass De Almond then in the use of
| language adapted to the flaying of
an antagonist with CELEBRITY and neat
ness. When Mr.. De Almond. in the
spring of 1908, ade the reference to
Dalzell quoted above, the Missourian
| had been put forward by the Demo-
\ IL J,,ef To Of va
Committee on Elections unseating
Wagner. Democrat elected to Con-
| gress from st. Louis, and seating But
| Ter, Republican. The committee re-
ceived many thousands of pages of
evidence In the case on a Wednesday,
and reported on Q following Monday,
clearly without having read the record.
/ Olmstead, OF Pennsylvania, as chair
man OF the committee, made the re-
port. Mr.. Olmstead had Just termi-
mated his days OF apparently confirmed
lbachelorhood by taking unto himself
a beautiful Virginia woman as his wife,
and his bride and some of her friends
were in the gallery to hear her hus-
band speak.
/ He made a pretty good speech, and
then Mr.. De Almond replied. 1t is Ger
tain that not single Democrat who
heard the speech was partisan enough
not to feel sorry for man whose new
wife was listening to him receive such
a castigation as no member OF the
| House has received in years.
But Mr.. De Almond does not COM
mand the attention which was once
ihis when he addressed the presiding
officer. He creates the impression that
he is confirmed man-hater. The milk
of human kindness has been curdled in
his bosom. He scolds now where he
once numbered and lightened.
But Serene f. Payne-Mr. Payne
rarely makes set speech. He con-
fine his leadership to ohjecting to
Legislation. or to backing up Dalzell
whenever the latter, who always acts
as spokesman of the Committee on