The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-12-12
By TIE EX-SENATOR.

| At the beginning OF every session OF
Congress there is always a great deal OF
/ speculation in regard to appropriations
for river and harbor Improvements; in
other words, in regard to what is termed
| the pork barrel bill.
Usually the measure carrying these ap-
| preparations is delayed until other legis-
iatiOn is well out of the way. Meantime
the river and harbor bill has been put to-
gether in patchwork fashion to meet
not so much the real necessities of the
case as the political necessities OF Sena-
| tors and Members, who impress their re-
spective constituencies with their infiu-
ence by the amount Of money they Sc
cure for dredging. deepening. and WIDEN
ing channels and streams.
On the whole, II has been a matter of
decker and trade among legislators, and
should the river and harbor bill fail of
passage or be vetoed BY the President,
there are many heartaChes.
\ notable instance of this kind occur
red in 1899, when the late Senator Thorn
as Carter talked a $4,000 river and harbor
bill to death. The story went out and is
still generally believed that Carter acted
upon the privately expressed wish of
President Mckinley, but this is incorrect
he proceeded upon his own motion; yet
Mckinley shed no tears over the result
Carter Possessed a fund Of humor, and
II frequently struggled for expression He
knew the extreme anxiety OF Southern
Democrats for the passage of the big
river and harbor bill. He also knew that
no great necessity for 1t existed. His
sense of humor was aroused by this fact
The last night OF the session. the pork
barrel bill having been made the I'M
finished business, its many friends were
very happy. Several Of them were TAX
ing dinner at the long family table in
the Senate cafe when Carter came along
and took a seat. Said he:
IF some gentleman will buy me a
bottle OF wine I'll agree to talk the
pending bill to death"
A Senator whose State had but small
interest in the bill whispered to "Dick, 8"
the head waiter, and a few minutes later
the ebony factotum appeared with a
large bucket of broken ice, in the CEN
ter of which was a quart OF Pommery
sec. The bucket was placed at Carter's
side.
Gentlemen" remarked the Montana
Senator, you all appear to be on the
water wagon. Here's looking at you"
An hour later. the bottle having been
drained, Carter appeared in his seat. He
was in a sparkling mood. Calling a
page, he directed him to fetch all the
the uOCuINenI TOOUl on rivers
and harbors. 1t required several pages
to perform the work, and soon Carters
desk was piled high with paper-covered
volumes.
CONSERVATION prevailed on the Demo-
cratic side. One by one the Southerners
came to demonstrate with Carter, but
without avail.
I'm moved by a great public duty,
gentlemen" was his reply. Pm sorry.
My conscience prompts me, and 1 have
no control over 1t.
Carriers speech on that occasion Is
conceded to have been the most anus
ing outburst of imprisoned oratory ever
heard in the Senate. 1t scintillated with
wit and ridicule. He held the floor all
night, reading frequently from the vol
luminous reports before him and COM
menting upon them in a manner to Gre
ate explosions Of laughter.
Now and again he would pause to in
quire II any friend OF the bill cared to
make reply, but they remained silent.
Speech was q consumer OF time; what
they wanted was a vote
But they didn't get It. and the sixty
millions were saved 10 the public Treas
uy.