The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-30
MR.WIkffAMS TWITS CANNON Presents Petition of l64 Democrats, LEADER TAUNTS REPUBLICANS Challenges Them to Pgt Pulp on
 Free LisS
 --e----- Minority Is Unanimeas for Passage of Measure But Speaker ssanas in Way of Passage of
 
LEADER TAUNTS REPUBLICANS

Washingtonf April 2s.-John sharp Williams today gave the Republican majority in the house an opportunity to either permit or refuse to permit vote on the Stevens bill to place wood pulp on the free list.
 Tn the course of a cleverly humor- ous and satirical speech he unrolled and held up to view the following petition to Speaker Cannon bearing the sigma ture of ie4 of the 1ss Democratic members
 we, the undersigned Representa- tiyes in Conghess, request. each for himself and each for each of the oth- CTS. that you recognize one of us, or. if you prefer, some other representa- tive. to move to discharge the commit tee on ways and means from further consideration of. and to suspend the rules and pass. the Stevens bill. or any other bill having the effect to put wood pulp and print paper on the free list"
 Mir. Williams said that the two De- mocratic members whose names were not appended to the petition were out of town. but efforts were being made to reach them by wire: when their signatures will be added. Only thirty republican names would be needed to swell the strength of the petition to the proportions of majority request which Mir. Williams said, with good natured sarcasm, he felt sure the speaker would heed.
 Williams As Exhorter.
 table had been placed on the feor In front of the stenographers bench and on it the petition was spread with nankings of ink bottles and pen. while the minority leader. stimulating the voice and manner of a revivaIist, ex- horted the republicans to rise and go forward and sign up. pleading for . thirty Only thirty" and asked .are there not thirty who will come forthT'
 After saying that only thirty rspub, leans were necessary to make the requisite number to pass the bilI, Mr. Williams declared kllat 1t should be easy to get them. because almost thir- ty republicans had introduced free pa- per bills,
 And" he said,. T know that every one of you who introduced bill meant what you said"
 Quoting the lines from the old hymn: While the lamp. holds out to burn. The vilest sinner may return.p
 Mir Williams proceeded
 If you have been in any manner bull dozed why. think for second; think of what short life we live here and how important 1t is we should be do. ing things while we live in this brief day of our tme.
 T express hope that at least thirty of you may sign the petition. If you don't like that petition because my name Is on 1t, and the names of Champ Clark and DeArmond, and Underwood and John Wesley Gaines and all these vile publicans and sinners in this side, get up one of your own. We can add the two together. If thirty of you sign, the speaker cannot refuse. be. cause you, together with us, will then constitute a majority of the House of Representatives.
 Magnanimity of Speaker.
 Early in the session when the rules were being adopted. the speaker was asked if a majority of the House made a request to the speaker whether that request would be needed and his re- ply, as I remember 1t, was a majority of the House of Representatives will always be needed by the speaker So If you put thirty names to our 166 and constitute 196. majority of the House of Representatives. konw that the em- inent. good natured man who presides over this House. who Is so tolerant of opposition, so patient wherever there is a stumbling block athwart his path. way, will bow in his most elegant manner, with the gesticulation that Is peculiar to him. and say gentlemen, a majority of the Representatives of the American pople have a right to have their own way and I will recog- nize somebody"
 MT. Williams concluded amid hand clapping and laughter tndulged in by Democrats and Republicans alike.