The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-17
Most Interesting COngressiOna
Game in History.
UNCLE JOE WAS THERE
But He Was POWerIess to InfIict
Minority Rule.
kinkead of Democrats Furnish
ed Fielding Feature.

Joe" Cannon looking on and pow
erless to call the minority to order
or bring in a special rule shutting Oft
base hits-the Democrats OF the
house waIloped all sorts of tariff
schedules out of the Republicans at
American league park yesterday and
won the most famous congressional
oaseball game on record by the score
of 26 to 16.
The Democrat victory-the first Of
the extra session-was followed by a
cloudburst. The deluge did not de-
scend until the seventh inning battle
mad ended with the stout members
all putting and groggy from running
bases and chasing balls, and the lean
members prone on the ground from
exhausted energy. The crowd which
witnessed the game was equally
weary-from laughter. The thronrs
present included most of the distin-
guished government officials.
President Taft did not attend-he
was at Chevy Chase with Vice Presi-
dent Sherman playing golf
More different kinds OF baseball
were played in that game than ever
crowded into seven innings before
and it was not all bad. The Demo-
Gratis put up rafting game in the
field - sometimes. Representativs
Helm, of Alabama, playing in ona
OF the outer gardens, once had "A
chance to be hero. The RepubIi-
and were scoring eight or nine. or
ten, runs, when line fly went wing
ing out into left field. straight at
Heflin. The portly Alabaman, who
played in white flannel trousers cast
one eye at the ball and another at
his bare hands, and "ducked." The
nit ought to have been good for a
house run, but Representative How
land of Ohio. fell exhausted on the
second sack and yelled for somebodv
to come out and finish the run.
Representative Nicholas Long
worth of Ohio, failed to live IN to
his advance notices. He presented "A
natty appearance in his golf trousars
but he "Casey-ed' out twice wifi,
two men on bases. got a base on
balls once and then in the last hair
or the seventh showed a flash of rare
speed when he beat out a tinv Iiffla
infield hit. His only other acduaint-
ance with the ball was a couple OF
foul tips and several long runs after
two baggers slammed out by the
Democracy.
like tariff bill coming out of the
senate committee on finance to be
printed in full. The Republicans
STUCK TO their original Lineup
throughout the game, but the Dem
ocrats wore themselves out making
ten runs in the second. and after
that substitutes were called upon with
ever increasing frequency and the
batting order was shifted every inn
ing.
The nearest the newspaper scorVers
could come to the base hits and err
rors was to give the Democrats 22
OF the former-no jest intended-and
hVe of the latter. The RepubIicana
are credited with twenty safe bits
and nine errors The real reason
there were not more errors was bes
cause the players sidestepped the
hard ones and could not reach the
long ones.
Texas Ieaguers were there I'm
punches and once in chasing a non
fly the Republican catcher and pitch
er colIlded with fearsome results.
Representative Burke of PennsvI-
Vania, who was at the receiving end
for the majority is of slight buiId,
and when he crashed into Pitcher
Gaines of West Virginia, the little
the ground. He picked himself up
undaunted, and then while he and
the pitcher were doing the "Alphonso
and Gaston." three Democrats with
a warped idea Of chivalry raced home
and added three runs to their already
opulent total.
The first victory Of the day for tba
free traders was won at the gate. The
game was supposed to be for charity.
but everybody seemed to have a Dass
The Republicans were captained bv
Tener OF Pennsvi
vania, who played short. Represen-
tatives Gaines and Burke were the
The Democrat leader was Repre-
sentative Kinkead. Of New Jersey.
who played second and wound up "A
brilliant record by making a double
play at the end Of the seventh. with
Longworth as one Of the
unwilling victims. Representative
Webb Of North Carolina pitched for
the Democrats and Outside Of the
NTH inning when the Republicans
equaled the Democrats high inning
score of 10 runs, he had the game
well I'm hand"
Representative Oldheld of Arkan-
sas, was the catcher. In battery
work the Democrats exceIIed al
though their slugging was a revefa-
ton to baseball enthusiasts.