The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-19
HOT COLL0QUY IN THE SENATE Penrose s9. LaFollette
 W7Angry. cRITId sG EACH OTHER Senator from Pennsylvania De- nounces Senator from Wisconsin. The ColIoquy Was Rendeerd Almost Tragic by the Angry Tones and
 Fiery Attitude Assumed by
 Both Senators.

Washington, Feb. 18.--An acrid ex-. change of words took place in the Sem ate today between Mir. LaFollette, who was criticising methods of that body in the hand1nig of appropriation bills. and Mir. Penrose. Chairman of the Committee on Postoflces and Post Roads, who was in charge of the post office bill then under discussion.
 The colioquy was rendered almost tragic by the angry tones and fiery att titude assumed by the Senator from Pennsylvania as he denounced the Sem ator from Wisconsin, who stood quiet ly at his place, on the other side of the chamber. staring back at his big an- tagonist.
 The day had begun by MT. LaFol1ette asking that the postofice bill be all lowed to go over unt tomorrow. as 1t had just been repoT d from the Cona- mittee and he had had no time in which to examine 1t. MT. Penrose had resisted this request. Later, Mr. La- Toilette severely arraigned the Senate for permitting Ngislation to accumu- late until the last days session, when, he declared, important bills were rush. cd through with little or no time for Senators to understand them
 Tt seems to be a part of the system that these most important legislative acts shall have little consideration" said Mir. LaFollette. He charged that important legislation was placed on these measures and passed when # could not pass as a separate bill.
 Creased Runaway.
 He said also that the salary increases for the judiciary. for the high execu- tive oficers. and for the Yice-President and the Speaker of the House, had been put through in that way and he insist ed that committees unduly delay bills which might be reported earlier, so that the Senate would have moro op- portunity to study and understand them. He declared that if the Senator from Pennsylvania had attended the sesslons earlier. his committee might have made q report more promptly. He added inst the Important lsElsiationt os Congress was in the hands of seveal commlftees while over f1fty Senators wefe not Assigned to any committee that has biainess. He took occasion to say that he hoped the tariff bill would not be put through on a "greased runway"
 Senator Penrose interrupted to ask the Senator from Wisconsin whether ''he was delivering his regular lecture" adding that he thought that he had heard 1t all before. Mir. LaFollette re- piled that observations of that sort would not promote the passage of the bill, and that his remarks were apt to be still more familiar. He chided the Senate with having put off interstate, commerce tegislation for nine years and having delayed the pure food laws methods against which he was con- tending.
 MT. Peprose arose and with evident anger and glaring across the chamber at the slight form of the Senator from Wisconsin, said in a loud tone:
 "I shall not sit silent In my seat when misstatements are made, or clap tran statesmanship is attempted here I charge that the Senator from WIscon- sus and during his service on that com- mittee hes failed to attend 6 single meeting of it. I make another state ment without any fear of contradiction, that he is on the important Committee on Indian Affairs. which every year considers a great appropriation bilI.- and he has seldom or never rendered useful service on it,"
 And he has been In the Senate du- ring two years" interposed Senator Gallinger, from his seat.
 There is no Senator" continued MT. Penrose, glaring angrily towards Mir. LaFollette, "who has a greater record for absenteeism than he. It i'll becomes him to criticise the committee. When he is here. it Is only to delay the bus mess of the Senate, to hold up the transaction of public business and to embarrass those who, under their oaths of offlce. and in the conscientious dis charge of their duty. endeavor to en- act legislation.
 T shall not sit here, and I desire to give such notice to the Senator from wisconsin, and listen to arguments that might better be made by a vender of patent medicine from the tall of cart in a village of Wisconsinthan from Senator of the United States"
 MT. LaFollette had remained stand ing while these remarks were directed toward him.
 "It is of little value," he said. "to utter a contradiction here to much that has been said. It would merely put the word of one Senator against that of another. I have not attended the meetings of some of the committees to which I was assigned. I have been reasonably diligent on the Committee on Indian Affairs"
 ''It Is the unanimous testimony of its members that you have failed to attend those meetings" interposed MT. Penrose anRrily.
 Explains his Absence.
 T would have more confidence in the statement" replied Mir. LaFollette de- Iiberately, If Senators on that commit tee made that declaration themselves. was absent from the Senate two months at the last session, being con- fined to my home in this city by ill., ness was absent during the holidays "a week-during this session, when was at my home experimenting the publication of a magazine in which am interested, and that seemed neces- sary to the success of the business at that time"
 Then standing in his place in silence for a few seconds, he looked intently towards the Senator from Pennsylva- mia, Framing his words with great de- liberation. he continued:
 Against his coarse and vulgar as- sault put my record since have been A member of thiB body"
 Then looking about the chamber, Mir. LaFoIlette continued:
 "You can take no course which will deter me from exercising my right up- on this floor, to express my views up- on legislation and upon the orderly conduct of the business of this body. If you were better acquainted with me you would know that"
 MT. LaFollette took his seat and Mir. Penrose referred tU the next amend ment in the postoface bill. MT. LaFol- iette at almost the same time address