The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-03-03
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial correspondence-l

There WA@ time when the speaker
counted that day lost whose low de-
scending sun did not witness some
new gem of humor incorporated into
! the sacred pages OF the Record. Now
whenever a statesman gets or some
thing pretty good his friends predict
that his defeat In the next elections Is
certain There is J. Adam Bede Of
Minnesota, for example. J. Adam has
been for numerous years one OF the
shining funny men in congress. 1t
has been impossible to pass even an
apprcpriation bill without some side
splltting thing from him being en-
balmed in the Record.
House Loses a tsumorist.
The house after March 4 will lose
alSa man who Is regarded as one Of
th& really greatest humorists that
body has ever known John Sharp
williams of Mississippi Is a master Of
sarcasm, but the streak Of genuine
American humor which runs through
his intellect gives to every utterance
4 he makes a charm which sets even
his enemies laughing.
Here Il a humorist who in the time
between his departure from the house
and his entrance into the senate in
tends to write a life Of Thomas Jeffer
son. His successor as minority leader,
Champ Clark of Missouri, Is one of
the noted wits of the house. BE will
be in the next congress. Of course,
and may be expected to make lively
many q dry debate. The Tits Of hu-
NOR between Clark and General Gr0S-
venor of Ohio, now an ex-congress-
man, afforded amusement for many
generations Of solons.
Pokes Fun at Democrats.
Cushman Of Washington Is one Of
the professional humorists Of the
house About twice a year he rises
in his place and delivers a stump
speech which simply doubles the Hon.
Serene Payne into q knot. 1t is a
speech full Of witticism at the ex-
pense of the Democratic party. and as
Mr.. Cushman is long and lean and sol
emn looking he always makes a hit.
His friends say he spends sometimes
as much as eight or nine weeks pre-
pairing one of his funny stunts.
Old Time Funmakers.
The late Speaker Reed of Maine was
the greatest humOrists who
y In the house, and his st0-
riss are still going the rounds. credit
ed rohim, too, which Is unHgaaai, years
+ after his death.
On one occasion Reed was walking
downtown one morning on his way to
the capitol. 1t was a cold April day,
and he had on a rather summerish
suit He was forcing the season. "
At a side street there hailed him a
: member from another state whom
: Reed couldn't bear. Reed tried tC
r hurry past, but the congressman hail
, ed him.
81 see you've got on your Atlantic
City suit" shouted the unwelcome
one.
"Yes," replied Reed. land now
guess I'll have a bored walk"
Thad Stevens Generosity.
, The good old humorists of the early
1 days seem to be passing. There are
, few men now in congress who can bt
e put In the same class with "Sunset'
a Cox or Thad Stevens. Old Thad hat
h a fine sense of humor. One day dur
o ing the civil war. the burden of which
he was carrying on his shoulders. h'
stepped into one of the gambling dem
. which infested Washington on hi
way to the capitol. He won a couple
of hundred dollars at faro bank ant
n then, accompanied by a friend, resum
e ed his way to the house.
e Just as he was about to go into tn
:. building there hailed him a delegation
of Quakers from his native state
4 Pennsylvania. They wanted him t
make a contribution for a worth.
charity up Harrisburg way and ha,
II come to Washington to obtain a smal
e donation from him. Old Thad du
} into his pocket. pulled out the $40
h the faro dealer had showed over t
e him and handed 1t to the chail
q man of the delegation. The Quaker
a were loud in their thanks. Final
: they bowed themselves away, ovel
whelmed with his generosity. Oh
Thad turned to his companion an
- said:
= God moves In a mysterious way hi
l. wonders to perform"
h New House For Mr.. Root.
E, Ex-Secretary Elihu Root. now SEM
E. tor elect from New York. has purchai
re ed for about $4,000 a large bulldin
N lot In Sixteenth street, between L an
,t NJ streets. on which he intends
|, erect a handsome home. 1t Is sai
- that Carrere & Hastings OF New Yorl
:. who designed Mr.. Roots New YOE
A. home. will make the plans. The houi
is now occupied by Mr.. Root in this cit
A. Is the brOperty OF former Vice Pres
g. dent Levi p. Morton.
8. Three MIlIIOns For Parks.
8. In order to allow the layout OF ii
b, extensions OF the national capit
es with parks and broad avenues alOr
AT lines similar TO those In EEnfant
II oRf0AnaI s,laW ~ fha rlfv GnEWufkankOl