Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-21


Representative Victor Murdoch says he
can sympathize with the naval officer who
received thef silent rebuke'' at the
Naval acadamy the other day. Because
one Of the instructors had offended them,
the entire body Of midshipmen maintained
absolute silence through a meal as a
means Of showing their displeasure, and
were in turn punished by the loss of all
privileges.
81 know how that officer felt" said Muir
dock to the correspondent of the Brooklyn
Eagle, because many a time lave 1 felt
the modification of the same kind of
treatment. 1t was during the early days
of insurgency, when a republican risked
more than he does now by opposing the
powerful speaker. Many a time have 1
gone into the republican cloakroom where
a score of my associates were seated, and
everyone would act as though struck dumb
when 1 showed up. There would not be a
sound. 1t was terrible, and 1 suffered
keenly.
For a long time L thought I was the
only one who was getting the silence re-
buke. One day six or seven Of us insur-
gents got together and compared notes, and
then we found that we were all being pun
ished in the same way.
"But that's all past now. They don't at
tempt to ostracize us any more. They even
invite us to rave luncheon with them. 1
really think that Uncle Joe would speak
to me if l would give him a chance"
You see this broad, smooth roadway,
g%ulliless Of vehicles of any sort? Well,
that represents the representatives. fear
Of his constituents"
Representative McCredie of Washington,
plump, ruddy faced and just at that mo-
ment perspiring freely, paused in his
gaspy walk through the subway leading
to the house office building from the cap
itol, and leaned against one Of the iron
posts for breath. relates the Washington
Times. The posts separate the sidewalk
of the subway from the sixteen or eighteen
foot roadway.
"Over on the senate side, where there
is no fear Of an economically inclined con-
stituency," continued Judge McCredie as
he resumed his walk, they have automo-
biles to take the senators to and from
their offices and the capitol. They make
the trip in comfort. with speed, n in a
style befitting the dignity OF their office.
But there are no autos for us. ! suppose
that one reason they think we do not need
automobiles through our subway is that
we are younger men. as a rule, than the
senators, and, being spryer, can walk. oh,
walking does us good, of course, but every
time I make the trip either way 1 feel
like getting up In the house and demand
ing an auto from the appropriation COM
mittee.
I'VE would have had the autos long ago
If we were not all towards. But there
isn't one man in a hundred in the house
that would dare to vote for a bill provid-
ing automobiles for this subway. Every
member would be dead sure that the vote
would bob up to plague him at the next
campaign. 1t would be a fine slogan for
the opposing candidate to cry: Ah, ha,
Congressman Smith is too lazy to walk
from his office to the capitol, a distance
Of two blocks. Out home he is not too
good to walk. but as soon as ne gets to
Washington he begins to ride around in
automobiles at the peoples expense
That may sound ridiculous to the ordi-
nary citizen, but it is not at all over
drawn. Many a man has lost his official
head with less said against him"