Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-11
SEEMS LIKE PROPHECY
Foraker's Speech Against Roose-
Welt Cut Off at Climax By
Message
AN UNUSUAL COINCIDENCE
Senate Receives Message From Roose-
Welt at a Moment That Killed Effect
of Foraker's Speech = Laughter
Halted in an Instant-The Parcels
Post Bill.

Post Bill.
Washington, Feb. 11.-There was a
and prophetic significance in
an incident which %convulsed the senate
for a moment yesterday afternoon and
then Immediately sobered it. 1t was
one Of those extraordinary colncl-
dences which happen in such a timely
fashion as to make one believe almost
that they We're ordered by supernat-
ural intelligence.
Senator Foraker was just concluding
a speech about Ohio nominations
which was a clever answer to the cor
respondence between the president and
William Dudley Foulke. Senator Fora
ker has lost a greac deal of his old
fire. He seemed to be bowed down
yesterday with the certainty of defeat.
In. the cloakrooms a few minutes be-
fore hi began to speak he vas con-
vulsed with bitter anger o. IL pres
ident's letter.
The speech of Uhio senator,
however, was straightforward, logical,
respectful, and, in some ways, mourn
full. He had abated zone of his bitter
luminosity to the administration, and
he was not above showing that his at
titude was dictated by personal con-
siderations, but none the less he was
listened to with intense earnestness.
The press gallery, which had been
empty, was soon filled to it's utmost
capacity, this rapid transformation be-
ing the inevitable forerunner of a sem
sational scene in congress. The sena-
and Hobbies, so that when the Ohio
senator began he had a brilliant audi
ence and one which listened to him
without a f1utter.
There was every reason to believe
that Senator Foraker, who is a splen-
did fighter at all times, would pitch In
to the president in ~unneasured terms.
There was some surprise when it. was
found that he swept aside all invectiNe
and contented himself with reading the
written evidence in the case of Post
master Bryson of Athens, o. 1t was
pretty strong evidence, too. There was
, letter from Congressman Douglass
making the positive statement that
after Mr.. Rryson had been given a re-
cess appointment the president per-
- - 49, - 49, L; IT,. - n -, ~ 1H,o G ,,nf
to be sent to the senate because OF
an interview with him printed in the
Washington papers in which. among
other things, he declared that Taft
could not carry Ohio if nominated.
Subsequently Postmaster Bryson was
formally Nominated by the president
and confirmed by the senate, but the
correspondence read by Senator Fora
ker was such as to show that, in this
case at least, political considerations
certainly had Influenced somebody to
hold up Mr.. Bryson's nomination.
Senator Foraker, who is one of the
best lawyears in the world. handled his
case with great skill. He had the evil
ably, but he declared there were a
hundred similar cases in Ohio. and
drew the inference, which perhaps was
unjustifiable, hat the president and
Secretary Taft had between them
manipulated the public sentiment in
Ohio by the use Of federal patronage.
The effect upon the senate and upon
the galleries was quite evident. when
just at that stage there came an in
terruption which was so obviously
comic and so pathetically prophetic
that 1t destroyed the entire effect of
the Ohio senator's speech.
Mr.. Foraker was just concluding his
analysis of the correspondence in the
Bryson case and was in full swing Of
his argument when Vice President
Fairbanks, with that gentle voice
which turneth away wrath but COM
mandeth attention, said, amid the aud
ible smiles of the senators, following
the usual form:
1.-The senator will suspend to receive
a message from the president of the
United States"
1t was an accident pure and simple,
but one of the kind which takes mems
breath away. There stood the presi-
dents assistant secretary at the head
of the center aisle. supported in form
IL fashion, according to custom, by
Alonzo Stewart of Iowa. the assistant
doorkeeper, who has been in the serv-
ice of the senate nearly a quarter of
a century, but who still looks like a
page boy. Across the breast of the
assistant secretary was one of the
familiar huge envelopes in which the
president makes his official commune
cations to congress.
The assistant doorkeeper announced:
"a message from the president of the
United States"
The assistant secretary bowed,
w%hereupon the vice president said:
"Mr. Secretary" And Their the assis-
tant secretary bowed again and an
nounced that the president. of the
United States submitted to the senate
"sundry messages in writing
1t is true they We're nothing but a
few beggarly appointments. but the
Formally of the thing, the CHASTITY pat
ness Of the interruption, and its mag