New-York tribune., 1908-12-20
HORSE PLAY IN SENATE
L4TT4 KEPT WAITING.
Presidents Secretary Too Late to
DeIiCer Messages to House.
TFrcm The Tribune Bureau.


Washington, Dec. I9-There was a decided holt
day atmosphere IN both houses of Congress to-
day. and in each chamber with probably no quo
rum present small amount Of routine business
was transacted and at early hour adjournment
was taken for the holiday recess. Congress will
recenvene on January 4
In the Senate the holiday spirit was almost ram
pant: the fun, which was, OF course. OF a quiet
and dignihed order. as becomes tne upper house,
began with Senator Lodges request that the Jour
nal be read Hardly had the reading started when
Mr.. Latta Of the White House secretaries. ap-
peared with a message from the President Sen
ator GaIlinger asked unanimous consent that the
further reading be dispensed with. that being the
usual procedure. Mr.. lodge objected and the read
ing proceeded, while the Presidents secretary stood
waiting. Then It occurred to some members that
the dignifed Senator from Massachusetts was haz-
ing the President. IN a few minutes Senator Cui-
berson. the Democratic leader. wishing to en-
phasize the fact that Mr. Lodge having fun
with his bosom friend. again requested that the
reading be dispensed with. and again Mr. Lodge
objected. The fact was that Mr.. Lodge was merely
seeking to XIII time in order that his bill popular
~ known the air space BILL might be signed
by the Speaker and the Fice-President. Had it not
been signed before the recess that section OF the
immigration bill controlling the amount of air
space and other requisites Of ship steerage would
not have gone into effect January I. As soon
: he the bill come from the House Mr.. Lodge
himself moved that the reading be dispensed with.
spirit OF nonsense and objected, the reading
was completed before Mr.. Latta was permitted to
deliver the message.
There proved to be several messages, one Of
them a veto Of q measure fixing the boundary be
tween Colorado and New Mexico and containing
letter from the Attorney General explaining why
The measure should he rejected Senator Teller
vigorously attacked the Veto and intimated that
the writer did not know what he talking about
Senators who had been paying scant attention
thought the venerable Democratic leader was at
tacking the President and gave evidence OF their
delight
When Mr. Teller subsided Senator Fulton Sc
cured the floor lie said he arose TO beg the Sen
ate not 70 adjourn until his friend. fhe distin-
guished Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Elkins.
could reach the Capitol He explained that MI
Elkins had made him positive promise in open
Senate that the Fulton amendment 10 the com
modties" bill providing that when I railroad gave
notice OF an advance in freight rates the Inter
state Commerce Commission could suspend such
advance pending an investigation, should be re-
ported by the Interstate Commerce Commission
before the holiday recess. He described the pa
tienCe with which he had waited ali through the
beautiful spring the long and torrid summer the
yellowing autumn, and even until now, lot Ile
Senator from West Virginia 10 make good his
promise. He INDUCED in all the oratorlcaI I'M
agery and hyperboe Of a college graduate as he
depicted his long wait, and almost convulsed the
Senate as he insisted that nothing but some grave
and unavoidable accident could have detained his
friend from West Virginia He begged the Senate
not 10 adjourn place that distinguished states
man in the attitude of having broken his word
The uerriuent Of the Senate was materially en-
HANGED by the fact that all this time Nj Elklns
was standing behind the ground glass doors Of the
cloakroorD and in plain sight Of the Senate and
the galleries.
Finally Nj Lodge. entering into the spirit OF the
occasion. interrupted Mr.. Fulton 10 say that with
all due Difference TO the Senator from Oregon, lie
had been longer in the Senate than he, and that
while he appreciated the simple, touching and even
pathetic faith OF the younger Senator, he was
constrained 10 quote the elder Pitt, who once re-
marked that confidence Is plant Of slow growth
in an older breast" Mr. Fulton replied that it
was with deep concern that he learned the lack
of confidence which the Senator from Massachu-
setts placed in the word OF the Senator from West
Virginia The Senate then adjourned
When M Latta reached the other end Of the
Capitol he found that the lower house had ad-
icllrned and he was obliged to carry the PreSi-
dents messages back 10 the White House. after
having delivered them 10 the Senate only one OF
The MESSAGES related the granting Of franchises
FOR water and gas companies and for the building
Of q BRUCE and the Improvement OF harbor IN
Porto Rico ard another asked an appropriation
o4 s250 90 for the acceptance Of the invitation OF
-ba Austria Hungarian government to take part
s7 an exposition and still another related TO fixing
-F,a BOUNDARY line between Colorado and New Mex