Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-20
INCIDENTS IN H0USE'0P|N|0NS ON revolt
Amusing Scenes Break Ten What House Leaders Think Of
sion During Bitter Row. Yesterdays Battle.
CROWD PACKS GALLERIES SPEAKER IN GOOD SPIRITS
Number Of Visitors to the Capitol Declares He Will
Exceeds All Records ing and Praying
EYES FOCUSED ON CANNON NORRIS IS WELL PLEASED
Spectators Insurgents
speaker-Vcor Murdock's Daugh- Says-Champ
Occupies the Floor Prophetic
Amusing Scenes Break Ten
sion During Bitter Row.
CROWD PACKS GALLERIES
Number Of Visitors to the Capitol
Exceeds All Records.
EYES FOCUSED ON CANNON
Spectators Show Admiration for
Speaker-Victor Murdock's Daugh-
ter Occupies Seat on the Floor.

Say, YOU" cried a real regular repub-
lican. pointing an accusing finger at a
genuine. untamed democrat on the floor
Of the House yesterday afternoon just
after the excitement was all over II
know what's the matter. / know why we
have been beating each other to death
today. j know why we have assaulted
the Speaker L know why there's blood
on the neon. It's SO simple | wonder
why somebody didn't think or 1t before. :
Tell me, little one demanded the
democrat, cupping his hand behind his
ear and feigning acute attention.
why" gurgled the real regular repub-
lican, this is William Jennings BIRTH
day"
Discovered" bawled the genuine, un-
tanned, shaping his forehead in we'll SIM
ulated agony. And then, laughing like a
couple Of kids, they locked arms and
chased off in search of a drink.
The republican was right. 1t was Mr..
Bryan's birthday. He is fifty years old.
Many Amusing Scenes.
There were many little scenes more
foolish than this after the tension incl
dent to the long and bitter row relaxed.
And it was no wonder. Long drawn out,
exhausting. dramatic in the extreme, and
acutely important in every legislative and
political aspect, the fight was wearing to
tempers and wearying to patience. Their
was not a moment of the climaxial ses-
sion yesterday when interest was not at
fever heat. 1t is indeed a wonder that
there were not actua, personal clashes on
the floor between members of the warning
factions.
There was enough electricity in the at
mOsphere of the House yesterday to run
a dynamo. Members felt it, employees felt
1t and the spectators in the galleries felt
it most of all. Hardly five minutes at a
time went by without applause from the
and, contrary to his general rule.
probably because he had other and more
important things to do and to think about
Speaker Cannon did not call the offenders
to order. He just let the noise in the
galleries help to swell the racket on the
floor. Nobody seemed to mind the noise
anyhow.
yesterday than at any time within the
memory of the oldest member of the
House or the most Experienced veteran
of the press gallery. This. Of course
eliminates that occasion when President
McKinley's body lay in state In the great
people filed by to look their last upon the
murdered chief executive. But, as far as
crowds in attendance upon any legislative
is concerned, yesterday broke
all records.
Galleries Fill Early. i.
As early as 10 O'Clock the galleries were
packed and damned. and from ..lat hour
until in the afternoon people poured
into the great building by all its many
doorways. OF course. as the galleries.
both public and private, seat only about
a thousand people, an uncounted number
OF thousands never even got glimpse OF
the proceedings or heard q word that was
said on either side. During the afternoon.
when the excitement was at its height.
the crowd damned the galleries, packed
the corridors, spilled down the stairways
surged through the wide lower halls
cluttered up the crypt and dwindled away
out on the east front and down the west
ern terrace.
They were mighty friendly to Uncle
Joe. all these visitors. He seemed to be
a particularly object of admiration for
every woman In the place
isn't he just grand?" suggested a
seminary miss in the Speakers private
to the fact that the Speaker had given
her a. ticket to see the show or whether
she really admired that grim figure in
the chair, with its thin. white hair, Lin
colnesque beard, tobacco-stained shirt
and much-chewed cigar. Is hard to say.
But she wasn't the only one Of the femi-
nine contingent to become almost hysterf-
cal at the sight of the Iron Duke OF
Illinois. the Scared veteran Of countless
political encounters, the victor In I'M
with his back to the wall. in what looked
for a while like his last fight
Old Guard Enthusiastic.
The old guard felt just about the same
way, 1t was apparent When they got a
chance to applaud they went at it in no
halfway fashion. When they got a
chance to cheer they cheered with open
threats. And when the final, the big,
the sensational climax came, it's safe
bet that no such number Of men ever
made so much noise before.
1t was remarked, during the day. by IA
great many, both members and specta-
tors, that throughout all the proceedings
there was a woman on the floor. She
sat in a seat way back on the demo-
cratic side but she was a very conspicu
Gus figure Her flaming red hair caused
one member to remark facetiously THAT
girl must be some kin to Victor Muir
dock" The member didn't know it at
the time, but he was right. She was
Mr. Murdock's daughter, and she had
come to the Capitol to see her papa
and there never was another papa like
him in the world-hold Speaker Cannon
firmly by one hand while he spanked
him briskly with the other.
Thanks to the activities of Albert Sid
ney Burleson of Texas. who will be
known as the vice president of the As
sistant Republican Club from this time
forw ard-Representative Fitzgerald of
New York is the president-this spank
ing performance did not come OFF. But 1t
wasn't Miss Murdock's papa's fault. He
was lust as willing as willing could be,
and he voted in q loud and growly tone
TO depose the Speaker. He would have
voted just as gladly to throw him out
OF the window or feed him trough on
rats.
His Insurgency Temporary.
There were many amusing incidents on
the floor and in the cloakroom during
the day despite the intensity and i'm
Of the proceedings. For In
stance, one regular who had been with
out sleep, without lunch. without dinner
and without a few more meals during the
last few days, but who had compensated
for the deprivation by persistent and
devotion to alcoholic stimu-
lants, became an active insurgent for
about an hour. His insurgency lasted
lust long enough for I'm to drink three
lemon settlers, weep on the bosom of a
colleague and go to sleep. He was rous-
ed In time to vote on the more important
roll calls. which he did in q penitent and
tone.
Another well known member of the
body was escorted to the House yesterday
by two gentlemanly attendants of a
local sanatorium. At the proper time