Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-07-28

on every occasion have kept hewing to the line
of one special legislative endeavor. John T.
Morgan, for years senator from the state OF Ala
bama, worked for months untold to secure the
adoption by the United States government OF the
Nicaraguan route for the great interoceanic
canal. He lost out, but it is probable that the
facts which he obtained in his researches were of
more value to the diggers of the canal than those
gathered by any other one man.
Senator Morgan one of the noted excep
tions to the psalmists rule for the limit of the
years of man. Some of the fippant and pos
sibly tired senators declared that Mr.. Morgan's
speeches long his life. If the voice
of the Alabama had been younger there
would have been few sleepy ones in the senate
when he talked-that is when he talked on any
other subject than the interoceanic canal Then
1t was to fly before the face of his oratory.
There substance to Senator Morgans
speeches. and this much cannot be said for the
vocal efforts of some of the hippant and younger
The aged ones words went into the Con-
gressona Record and Illuminated its pages.
When he rose to speak many of the colleagues
of Mr.. Morgan retreated to the restaurant or the
cloak room. Only rarely did he take apparent no
tice of the seeming discourtesy. Once, wisely or
unwisely, he said with something of pathos in
his voice that he wished he could talk in the
lunch room for there he would be sure Of an
aNdience
Mr. Morgan was no imperalIst He had fear
in his heart of the outcome of the policy of expan-
sion, and the note of warning that came from his
lips was frequent and forceful. One day, after
outlining the position which he believed his
country should take, his voice back to
him. Senators starting to leave their seats sunk
back and listened. The words fairly rang through
the chamber This was what he said:
IN this lofty attitude prove the vir-
tue of the republic before the eyes of all man
kind, or we set its light beacon to warn
coming generations that, even in the highest
reach Of power and advantage this republic
the cynosure of all eyes-is affected to the core
with the sin of covetousness, and is afame with
the consequent lust of power that is attended
with the usurpations, tyrannies and expressions
which have marked the course of the oligarchies
and despots that have disgraced the history of
other nations"
The senate of the United States stands for dig.
nifty. Sometimes the dignity is overdone, but, on
one occasion the Senate undignifed to the
point of striking several older senators with
horror.
Senator Tillman of South Carolina was max
ing nothing less than impassoned speech. He
was reaching toward the skies of oratory, when
Senator Warren left his seat unseen of Tillman,
and took station behind the South Carolinan.
The speaker had both hands high over his head
directing the soaring of his thoughts and words.
Warren took step forward. His hand stole
to Tillmans side, slipped into his pocket and
came out again holding in its clutch big black
bottle
All unconscious Tillman went on with his words
of fire. Warren held his find aloft in full view
crowded galleries. There a gasp then
smothered and simultaneous gurge of horror
from hundred throats and then roaring laugh
ter uncheckable.
Tilman turned and knowledge of the awfulness
of his situation came to him. For once, possibly
for the first time in his life, he staggered
to speechlessness. He strove for words, but they
came not at his bidding. His face was first black
with something like anger. Then the cloud clear
ed and smile broke through. Speech returned,
ami two words came: "Boracic acid"
1t was boracc acid, but unfortunately for Mr..
Tillman, 1t had been put into black and suspi-
cious bottle. A sore throat the reason for its
carrying and while the South Carolinian is a
man of known truth, he would not let the matter
pass until he had passed the bottle and had
forced him comrades to smell the stuff and make
clear his temperance record.
Neither senate house makes light of pen.
sion pleas in the presence of the galleries, but
some OF the would-be pensioners play comic roles
in the committee rooms and corridors. Claim.
ants who can prove things treated as old SOL
diers and old soldiers widows ought to be treated
-decently and reverenty.
Congress in its weakness Eas voted pensions
on many occasion, though doubtless know
ing that the pensions We're unearned and unde-
served but the day of that sort of thing is pass
ing If it has not altogether gone One member
ySAs asked to use his influence to secure an in