The Washington herald., 1908-01-26
As 20 a Congressional Joke.

We are convinced, on reading an the
available evidence. that the Hon. Joseph
T. Robinson, Of Arkansas was much too
severe in his animadversions upon the
effort of the Hon. Elmer L. Fulton. of
Oklahoma. to be funny at the expense
Of the sovereign Commonwealth of which
Mr.. Robinson is an honored citizen. IL
all happened on Thursday last. in this
wise. In recognizing the gentleman from
Oklahoma, the Chair made the quite in
nocent and unintentionaI error of ad-
dressing him as The gentleman from
Arkansas, an error of which the pseudo
Arkansan took this advantage.
IN my short time on this earth I have had sew
eral hard things said about me. but never was
referred 10 before the gentleman from Arkau-
sas although It is a mighty good State" laugh
teri
The real gentleman from Arkansas was.
perhaps not nnaturally, unable 20 see
the humor of this remark. He came hack
at the gentleman from Oklahoma with
force and effect:
When he tells the worst thing ever said about
hira was that he came from Arkansas 7 want 20 tell
nm In reply Ia The same spirit in which he uttered
II, that about the worst thing ever said about
Arkansas was thar the gentleman from Oklahoma
came frou Arkansas" ILaughter and applause
fair retort and courteous. but it did
not settle the matter. The controversy
was renewed on the point of humor Was
the original remark of the Hon. Mr.. Full
ton inherently funny, rec0guizabIv hu-
morous or was it of such dubious Wit
that the h.aer might well doubt its
- quality. ne present both sides of the
olioquy on this delicate difference:
NJ Fulton-I esu1ot help but feel convinced
pat e7eEE memhc7 who vas present knew and uu-
rstood that,I was trying TO say what did in the
st fun in the world.
Mr. Robinson Does the gentleman think that
pa look in TIE Congressional Record like very
py joke?
IA Fnlton-I think that the ordinary person who
ada the Congressional Record
Mt. Bonyuge-The whole thing is a Joke. Laugh
Mr. Fulton-WhaU 7 said was said in the utmost
D hmor. and iuasmuch as it does not show IN
Record thst it was said in good hum1r and
out any intention Of hurting the feelings Of any
I say II nov, 20 that il shall appear in the
5rd."
We regret that the gentleman from
yOkiahoma should have been driven TO
the necessity of publicly labelling his
slight excursion into the field of humor
So thar no one should fall into the blum
der Of supposing # TO be other than
funny. Nothing so dulIs the edge Of wit
as an explanation. and joke that re-
uires d diagram. might as we'll be left
nsaid. The very 1fact that the Hon
II. Fultons remark evoked the laughter
his hearers. as shswn by the veracious
-. is the best evidence that it was
y funny, and it needed not a procIa-
IiOn to that effect TO prove the obvious
r gentleman from Arkansas is clearly
Erong in his idea that the Joke I'm aues-
Ytion was one of the sort that nobody
enjoys except the gentleman who per
petrates it," and his attempt to make
a distinction between something that is
very funny" and the humor of his
= colleague is hypercriticaI in the ex-
Is4Seme.
We fhd ourselves compelled to agree
with the Hon. Robert ". Bonynge. Of
Colorado. an unprejudiced and discrim-
mating observer, that the whole thing
is a joke. AS such. we have set down
the main facts concerning it, in the hope
that they may contribute even though
trivially. 10 the public gayety.