Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-01-19
WILLETT CALLED BY HOUSE
Bitter Invective Against President
Cut Short by Colleagues.
CALLS EXECUTIVE A. eARGoY1E
New York Representative Also Re-
fers to Roosevelt PiEmy De-
scendant of Dutch Trades
People.

WASHINGTON, Jan. ia sensational
and bitter attack on President Roosevelt
was made in the house today by Mr.. Will
lett of New York. His remarks which were
delivered under the license of general de-
bate on the pension appropriation bill, were
cut short by vote of the house that 1t
would hear no more of them. Mr.. Willett
characterized. the president as "gargoyle,
tyrant, pigmy descendant of Dutch trades
people, hay-tedder, fountain of billingsgate,
a jocularity, imitation OF a king and bogus
hero"
Mr.. Willett had completed the reading
Of about three fourths of his speech when,
after repeated appeals to the chair by
numerous republicans that he be called to
order, he was compelled to take his seat.
1t was o ma motion by Mr.. Chandler of
Mississippi that the New Yorker be allowed
to proceed lin order" that the house voted
him off the floor, rs to 126.
Mr.. Smith of Missouri pleaded for pen
sions for certain militiamen of Missouri
Mr.. Langley of Kentucky did likewise for
some of his constituents, Mr.. Norris OF
Nebraska attacked the house rules, Mr.
Larrngaga of Porto Rico presented argu-
ments to show that Porto Rico had not
| progressed politically, and Messrs. Goulden
| of New York. Bowers of Mississippi and
Keifer Of Ohio discussed the merits of the
pension bill.
! Characterizing President Roosevelt as a
gargoyIe and as "this pigmy descendant OF
Dutch tradespeople." and charging hin
with having established court in the
White House which would have delighted
| the Heart OF Alexander Hamilton" Mr.
| ~ in house
resentatives today made one OF te most bit
ter attacks on the chief executive ever heard
in that body. Mr.. Willett took for his
theme, 1.-THE Passing OF Roosevelt" and in
a speech of great length dealt with nu'
merous Of the presidents acts since he
came into office and scathingly denounced
| them
After declaring that in the face Of al
sorts of conditions Americans were pos
sessed of a universal sense of humor, Mr.
Willett said that to such people 'it mus
! be confessed a chief magistrate who has
! himself no sense of humor, moving like q
horse tender over the bayfield, of American
| activities, stirring up every drying blade
of once green grass, to let ii fall drier thar
before; quarreling one day with the prac
tical politicians, then with the part-your
hair-in-the-middle reformers, then with so
cialists then with the great industrial cor
porations; wrestling in agony of spirit witt
Noah Webster and our glorious Englisl
| tongue; taking a fall out of nature fakirs
exhortng our women to avoid race suicide
cannot be an unmXed nuisance.
Plays the Tyrant.
He plays the tyrant to be sure, but h
is tyrant who fears the carnival tckler
He sees things that have bad SMELL bu
the fresh breeze OF Capitol Hill does no
let the odor lingeT.
He tries our patience, but he is Away
good TO laugh at. Thank heaven for IN
things that make US laugh. Without then
we might easily become raw, untsmei
Anglo -Saxons making much OF magni
charta, believing about an effete bill o
rights or even ready to fight for freedom
OF thought. freedom of speech and freedom
OF the press, as did our uncivilized an
cestors at Lexington and Bunker Hill"
Mr.. willett gave a brief biography of Mr
Roosevelt's life, beginning with his expert
ences as cowboy down to the presen
|