The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-07-15

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~ + is the custom to speak OF tn
rhm ~ United States senate as the mo-
NV ! digniied legislative body in tt
II% ! world, while on occasions tn
IlllIh | house of representatives has bee
IWp ! described as bear garden" Tt
IpN w. ! senate is ordinarily dignifed d
IIIM ~ | Lucrative body, but nevertheless
~ is mistake to look upon the hou!
of representatives In any way, g
cept on the rarest occasions,
assembly given to disorderly pr
cedure. There have been within the last fe
months many scenes of intense excitement
the house, times when personal, political and ia
tional temper has run high and when there W,
the high spirited excuse" for scenes borderi1
on the tumultuous. In the main, however, throuf
all the temper-trying times OF the attempt
shear Speaker Cannon of his power, and dur
ing the intense moments of the debate on the
railroad bill, the members succeeded in holding
themselves in check and in giving exhibit
ton of self-restraint that was admirable. On
only few occasions within the space OF sew
years that one correspondent has watched
proceedings in the house, have there been per-
sonal encounters on the floor between mem
bers. In only one instance really could these
affairs be spoken of as personal encounters,
for in only one case were blows exchanged
former minority leader of the house and
one of the leading members of his party, ex-
changed blows, but the matter was a personal
one, and not political one. and it might have
happened outside of the house as well in
side. It was not brought about by the heat Of
debate, but by long continued friction which
engendered heat enough to cause explo-
sion while the house was In session. One of
the parties to this physical encounter is now
dead, and the other, next March, will take his
seat in the senate of the United States. Their
names probably will suggest themselves at
once.
There are many hot-headed members of the
lower house Of congress, and some of these
"temperamental ones are leaders in their re-
spective parties. AS leaders, however, these
men long ago learned that If they were to
maintain leadership they must keep a check
on their tongues and a check on their birth
right willingness to enter on scrimmage.
The members Of the house realize that men
laboring under excitement, will say things that
they will be sorry for in a minute, and so fire.
quently, words that positively are insulting,
are overlooked by the offended member for a
few minutes in order to give the offender a
chance to get his faculties back and apologize.
II he does not apologize, though he generally
does, the one who feels himself aggrieved, has
his own way Of securing retraction, either by
appeal to the house, direct appeal, some
times made in pretty sharp language, to the
member who has offended.
One of the most exciting times in the house
of representatives In recent years was a YER
bal encounter between Representative Bourke
Cochran, Democrat of New York city, and Rep
resentative John Dalzell. Republican, Of Pitts
burg Bourke Cochran Is known as one OF the
greatest orators Of the United States, and John
Dalzell Is known as one Of the ablest debaters
the Republican side of the house Of repre-
sentatfves. small man physically. but abso-
lute]y fearless. Dalzell Is one of the chief ad-
vocates of protection.
The New York member attacked the con-
sistency of the Pittsburg member in a speech.
and said some things about the inconsistency
Of the Republican party. To Dalzell this
seemed to give the opportunity that he wanted.
He stood the floor of the house and
cused Cochran not only of inconsistency, but
practically of using his gift of oratory first
to uphold one side of question, and then to
uphold another, and the Pittsburg man did not
try to conceal the reasons which he thought
were responsible for the change Of opinion and
the change of attitude on the part of the man
whom he was criticlzing
In that speech against Cochran Dalzell was
waspish. There were men on the floor who
expected fully to Cochran attack him. not
verbally, but physically, but the New Yorker
sat through the speech, and when it was ended
arose in his own place. The New Yorker con-
tented himself with saying that If he were
guilty of the charges which the Republican
member had made against him. he was not fit
to stay in the house of representatives, and he
demanded that congress as matter OF per-
sonal privilege to him, should make an in
vest1gation of his conduct, make q report there
on, and If he were found guilty, the fact should
be published to the country.
The house refused to take any action on
c.