Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-07-14

assembly 6lNCA w ioSAaSAAy "a
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
ION the tumultuous. In the main, however, throuE
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 an eXnlbl-
ton of self-restraint that was admirable, On
only a few occasions within the space OF sew
en- 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.
A 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 a political one, and 1t might nave
happened outside Of the house as well as In
side. 1t was not brought about by the heat OF
debate, but by long continued friction which
engendered heat enough to cause an 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
'te"mperamental 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 a scrimmage.
The members of the house realize that men
1aboring 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.
If 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, or 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
,on the Republican side of the house of repre-
sentatives, a small man physically, but abso-
lutely fearless. DaIzell Is one of the chief ad-
yocates 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 on the floor of the house and ac
cused Cochran not only of inconsistency, bu'
practically of using his gift of oratory, hrs
to uphold one side of a question, and then t
uphold another, and the Pittsburg man did no
try to conceal the reasons which he though
were responsible for the change of opinion ant
the change OF attitude on the part of the mai
whom he was criticizing.
In that speech against Cochran, Dalzell wa
waspish. There were men on the floor VIII
expected fully to see Cochran attack him, no
verbally, but physically, but the New Yorke
sat through the speech, and when 1t was ende,
arose In his own place. The New Yorker cor
tented himself with saying that If he wer
guilty Of the charges which the Republican
member had made against him, he was not 4
to stay in the house of representatives, and h
demanded that congress as a matter of PEI
sonaI privilege to him, should make an II
vestigation of his conduct, make a report there
on. and IL he were found guilty, the fact shout
be published to the country.
The house refused to take any action 0