Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-04-07
EXTRA SESSION OF
CONGRESS 0PEND
AT NOON TUESDAY

A page does the drawing. As each MEM
bers name is called he goes into the
chamber and selects a seat on the Dem
ocratic or Republican side. as the case
may be.
visitors thronged the Office of Speaker
to-be-Clark during the two hours before
the converting of the house. Among them
were Mr.. Mann minority leader, who
called to congratulate the man who was
scheduled to beat him for the speaker
ship: Governor Harmon, of Ohio; VIII
liam Jennings Bryan and Samuel Com
pers, president of the American Fedora
ton Of labor.
Mr.. Bryan was closetsd with Mr.. Clark
for Is minutes.
Exercising his privilege as a former
member of the house. Mr.. Bryan appear
ed in the chamber at HAS a. m. He was
greeted with applause and cheers both on
the floor and in the galleries.
A few minutes later Governor Harmon
of Ohio. appeared on the floor and the
cheering was renewed. When Governor
Harmon made his way up to Mr.. Bryan
and the two stood shsAinS hands and
chatting together the uprosr was deaf
ening.
This. ceremonies were brief and formal,
consisting in the main of brief prayer
by the senate chaplain. Rev. Ulysses
Grant Pierce, who petitioned that as a
people. WE might be delivered from strife
within and warfare without" the reading
OF the message calling the special session
and the swearing in of the 80 newly elect
ed senator's.
OF the senator's sworn. II were men who
never before had occupied seats in the
senate Twelve were Democrats and five
Republicans. the Democrats being Messrs.
Bryan. Of Florida; Chiffon. of West Vir-
ginia: Hitchcock. Of Nebraska; Johnson,
OF Maine: Kern. OF Indiana; Lea. of Ten
nessee; MARITIME, of New Jersey; Myers,
of Montana; O'Gorman. of New York;
Pomerene. OF Ohio; Reed. of Missouri. and
Williams. OF Mississippi
The new Republicans were Lippitt, Of
Rhode Island: Mclean. of Connecticut;
Poindexter. of Washington: Townsend, of
Michigan. and Works. of California.
The senator were sworn in in squads
of four by Vice President Sherman.
Mr.. Chiffon took the oath on a Bible
given him by his mother.
AS soon as the last of the senators had
left the vice presidents dais. the roll Of
] the senate was called. Eighty-six sena-
tors. within FIVE OF the entire member
ship. were found to be present, and SEN
ators GaIlinger and Bacon were appoint
ed committee TO wait on the president
and notify him that the senate was in
session and prepared to do business.
Promptly at the hour of u o'clock
noon. Clerk Mcdowell called the house
to order. and Rev. II. n. Couden. the
blind chaplain. who was retained by the
Democrats. offered prayer.
Before ordering the roll call by states
to ascertain a quorum. Major Mcdowell
made a speech which called out shouts Of
I laughter.
"On the eve OF my departure he said,
Il want TO thank the members of the
IF2st eight congresses for their uniform
kindness and courtesy. During the Is
years that / have been in the service
Of the house. Is members have died in
service and are now silently waiting be-
yond the river for the supreme commit
tee on committees properly to place
them"
The Republicans thought they recog-
nized a ISLAM" at the Democrats in this.
A few of them applauded. Then they
began to laugh and finally they cheered.
As the rollcall proceeded there were
demonstrations for all OF the well-known
figures OF the house-for Mr.. Cannon.
Mr.. Mann, Mr.. Payne. Mr.. Underwood
and others. When Champ Clark's name
was reached the demonstration contin-
lued until the clerk called for order
The only feature of the proceedings not
on the program was introduced by Sena-
tor Bailey. of Texas, who sought to have
the hour Of daily meetings of the senate
fixed at p. m. instead Of u O'Clock.
noon.
The suggestion was made in accordance
with a motion by Senator Brown fixing
the hour OF Il as the time OF meeting.
Mr. Bailey sought to amend the motion
by fixing the time at o'clock. saying
that very little business could be done
before that hour for at least the next
six weeks. He ultimately withdrew the
amendment, but with promise to renew
4 later.