The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-24
Election Of Percy Adds to [usteT
Of State in Senate
COLONEL GORDON HON0RED
Nfsrissinpfan Presides Over Senate for
m short Time-rhe Colonel VIII
Take All His Colleagues to
See a Play
BY wATTERsoN srEALEy

|
Washington. February 2s.-tspeeial)
The election of Leroy Percy TO The
United States Senate to succeed the late
Senator McIaurin is a victory for SEN
ator-e elect John Sharp Williams, whose
opposition to the election of Governor
Vardaman counted more than any other
factor in the fight.
Percy. the new senator, was prob
ably by long odds the ablest man be-
fore the legislature and with Williams
and Percy in the Senate Mississippi
will maintain the high rank II has
always held in the upper branch OF
Congress. Percy is probably the wealth.
lest man elected to the Senate from
southern state in recent years. Much
of his money was accumulated In his
law practice.
Percy is a great grandson of j. w.
Walker, one of the first senator's from
Alabama, and he is a nephew of Leroy
P. Walker, the first secretary Of war
in the Confederate cabinet.
The outgoing senator. James Cor
don. was today called to the chair by
the vice president and for several hours
presided over the senate
| Senator Gordon has prepared treat
| for the Senate, having purchased seats
for the performance of "A Gentleman
from Mississippi" which will be pro-,
duced here Monday night Senator
Gordon saw the play in philadelphia
at yesterdays matinee.
| Colonel Gordon was persuaded with
difficulty to make the trip 10 Phil
adelphia, explaining he had never in
his life seen a theatrical performance
and adding that the political situation
in Mississippi was such as TO hold him
close to the capital. But when he
discovered that "A Gentleman from
Mississippi was being presented at the
| Walnut street theatre in the quaker
| CITY and recalled that 81 years ago his
| father had taken him there to hear
| Jenny Lind sing in concert, ana re-
membersd also that at was exac<ly -
years ago yesterday thst he had last
visited Philadelphia on his WsfJs7f5 Can
ada, an escaped prisoner OF war. he
determined he would make the trip
The announcement in the Philadel-
mia papers that Senator Gordon was
\ to be of the audience at yesterdays s
| matinee performance, resulted In DIS
| immediate recognition by most of the
theatregoers on his entrance into a
| stage box and throughout the action
of the play his frequent applause and
whole-souled laughter afforded the
audience almost a6 much amusement as
the efforts of TIE actors themselves.
Durning Question Settled
Washington, February Bone of the
| burning questions which is agitating the
Senate is whether Colonel Gordon, the re-
| tiring senator from Mississippi, will be
perrnitted to deliver farewell address In
| that body.
senator Gordon stated today that 1t was
his desire to say few words before re-
tiring, but unforeseen complications In
| the shape of the election of a successor, 1t
| IL stated, have arisen to prevent It,
All depends upon the construction of
senatorial precedents 1t is declared, and 1t
is probable that the case will be decided In
the interest of the venerable Mississippi
man. Some of the senators hold that as
Mr.. Percy has been elected to the Sen
ate Mr.. Gordon is without rights in that
| body now Others contend. however it is
asserted that he Is entitled to hold his
| seat until the certificate OF the Mississippi
authorities attesting the election or Mr.
| Percy has been presented to the Senate.
| AS 1t Is not possible for this document
1 w
| lieved Mr.. Gordon will be permitted to
occupy his seat for at least another day.
Senator Gordon today blushingly ad-
| nottted his desire to make speech, II
Is stated, and said:
! "I merely want to express my gratifica-
| tion over the courtesies extended to mo
| in the Senate, and I would not have any
| one believe that I have any intention to
make a pretentious speech. I have been
| treated so we'll by all the senators and
have so many friends among them that
| I do not want to place myself In the at
tltude of Diogenes and merely want to
| bid all goodby.
Colonel Gordon celebrated his last Of
| fetal day in the Senate by presiding over
| that body for an hour while Senator
Brown of Nebraska was delivering his
| speech on the income tax.
| While not entirely conversant with all
| the intricacies of senatorial procedure, the
veteran Mississippian contrived with the
/ aid of a written guide to discharge tho
functions of the office In satisfactory
| manner.
| During the delivery of Mr.. Browns
| speech Colonel Gordon's attention was
| apparently concentrated quite as much
| upon some notes on his desk as upon the
| senator's remarks, and it was rumored
about the Senate afterward that he had
given expression to his meditations in tho
| form of some jokes at the expense of his