The San Francisco call., 1909-02-19
La TOILETTE AND
|. PENROSE SQUABBLE
Wisconsin Senator Objects to
Methods Of Passing Appro-
priations In Senate
Pennsylvania Compares 0ppo-
nent to Patent Medicine
Yender on Cart Tail

WASHINGTON. Feb. 1s-An ex-
change OF angry words took place in
the senate today between La Toilette,
who was criticising methods of that
body in the handling OF appropriation
bills, and Penrose, chairman of the
committee on postofices and post
roads, who was in charge of the post
Office bill
The colloquy was rendered almost
tragic by the fiery attitude assumed by
the senator from Pennsylvania as he
denounced the senator from Wisconsin.
who stood quietly at his place on the
side of the chamber staring back at
his big antagonist.
La Toilette arraigned the senate for
permitting legislation to accumulate
until the last few days of the session.
when, he declared, important bills were
rushed through with little or no time
Tor senators to understand them.
LEGISLATION SLIPPED THROUGH
He said that important legislation
was placed on these measures and
passed when it could not pass as a
| separate BILL He said also that the
salary increase for the judiciary, for
the high legislative Offices and for the
vice president and for the speaker of
the house had been put through in
that way and he hoped the tariff bill
would not be put through on a
| creased runway"
Penrose interrupted to ask La Fol-.
iette whether he was delivering his
regular lecture" adding that he
tnought he had heard it all before
la nj laff
OF that sort would not promote the
passage of the bill. He chided the SEN
ate with having put off interstate COM
merce legislation for nine years and
having delayed the pure food law for
seventeen by applying the same meth
ods against which he was contending
PENRosE BECOMES ANGRY
AT this point Penrose arose and with
violent anger and glaring across the
chamber at the straight form of the
senator from Wisconsin said:
Il shall not sit silent in my seat
when misstatements are made or clap
trap craftsmanship is attempted here.
| l charge that the senator from Wis
consin had been on the committee on
census and during his services on that
committee he had failed to attend a
single meeting" He also said La Fol-
lette had neglected to attend meetings
affairs.
And he has been in the senate dur
ing two years" interrupted Senator
Gallinger.
ATTACK ON LA TOILETTE
There is no senator" continued Pen
rose, who has a greater record for
absenteefsm than he. 1t i'll becomes
/ him to criticise these committees.
! When he is here it is only to delay the
business of the senate; to hold up the
transaction of public business and to
embarrass those who in the discharge
| of their duties endeavor to enact leg
! islation. / shall not sit here, and 1 de-
| sire to give such notice to the senator
! from Wisconsin, and listen to argu-
ments that might better be made by
a vender of patent medicine from the
tail door of a cart in a village of Wis
consin than from a senator of the
United States"
La Toilette had remained standing
while these remarks were directed to-
ward him.
VERACITY Is QUESTIONED
| ut is of little value" he said, ito
utter contradiction here to much
! that has been said. 1t would merely
| put the word of one senator against
the other I have not attended the
meetings of some of the committees to
which / was assigned. / attended the
meeting of the committee on claims
once or twice. Not feeling that could
render service of value on it I asked
| to be relieved from membership on
that committee. / have been reason
ably diligent on the committee on In
dian affairs.
1T is the uniform testimony of its
members that you have failed to at
tend those meetings interposed Pen
rose angrily.
| II would have more confidence in the
! statement" replied La Toilette delib-
erately, .1f senators on that committee
made that declaration themselves.
ABSENCE Is EXPLAINED
81 was absent from the senate two
months at the last session, being con-
fined to my home in this city by illness.
| 1 was absent during the Holidays
week-during this session while I was
at my home experimenting the publ
cation of a magazine in which 1 am
interested and that seemed necessary
| to the success of the business at that
time
! Looking intently toward the senator
from Pennsylvania, he continued:
Against his coarse and vulgar as
sault put my record since have been
a member of this body"
Then looking about the chamber La
Toilette continued:
You can take no course which will
deter me from exercising my right on
this floor to express my views on legis-
lation ard the orderly conduct of the
business of that body. If you were
better acquainted with me you would
1