Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-03-28
THE TANTALUS CLUB
And the Late Congressman Foster'f
First Speech.

From q reporters recoIlecuonS III tHe
Boston HsrGld)
The sudden death of Congressman David
j. Foster of Vermont reminds me OF
al. prnc deal Joke played on the leaders of
le 9Th Congress Samuel l.. Powers ~
massachusetts, and few others conce,-
ed the idea that things We're too much
IN the hands of the old members Of the
House. and to offset Tits they formed
the Tantalus clue made up Of repuhli' n
first-teriners, TIE Republican party be-
ing then Ascendant.
orc Of the cluh's early enterprises was
he devising OF scheme to compel the
House to listen u new man, something
that II was traditonallv averse to doing
Foster was the man drafted for the test
experiment BY preconcoved schedule
every Tantalrs man was 0rese1t-a con-
siderable fraction Of the Honse-lH
readiness to listen intentlv 20 every line
that fell from the chosen orators lips
The speech was accordingly punctuated
with unrestra.ned laughter and hearty
applause There was some Infection IN
this attitude Th> old-timers were hypno-
f,zed by their environment into listen
ing. too. and when Mr. Fosters remarks
we're concluded and the Tantalus men
formed In line to march down the aisle
To shake hands with him-a very unusual
.lemonstration-rnany of the Old guard
vere sucked into the current
Serene e. PAYNE toddled over from the
opposte side of the chamber 70 grasp
the hand Of the young man, just ms ala
the conscript fathers that or the brave
Hoiatius Grosvenor of OHIO waded down
the line and John Dalzell Of Pennsyl-
vania, standpatter In extra ordinary, With
his head a. its customary tit, paid hon.
age. too And these men supposed they
We're really responding to q great ora
| torical outburst. OF course II was n good
speech Foster had pr'red himself pretty
well, knowing the character of the en-
terprise that was on foot, and he was an
exceptionally e1fted speaker. But II was
In the staging that the greater merit
| lay.
Powers and Foster came together again
In the opening OF the 18th Congress.
when there was 4 vacancy In the speak
! crship. Henderson having resigned.
! Charles +. IAttlefield OF Maine announced
| his candidacy straightway. And the coun-
| try took It seriously. as his first term
! had made him widely conspicuous. Ros-
| ton newspaper took a poll OF The New
England congressman. One member from
| NJ the declared himself for Lttlefield
! Mr., Foster of Vermont responded with
/ great solomnity that his deliberate choice
, was Samuel L. Powers of Massachusetts
The latter promptly telegraphed Little
| field "You and are running neck and
neck for the speakership," for they were
on good Joking terms
The Tantalus club was unique insti-
tuition. 1t went on the rocks because It
became az organization of the men who
had entered Congress in 1901, instead or
adhering TO its original purpose Of serv-
Ing as protectory for freshmen TWO
years later they had ceased to be new
. corners. and OF course their numbers were
somewhat depleted and since they were
acquiring some place in the House, the
oke of it all gradually evaporated. IL
| there could have been a regular organi-
cation OF men on their first ana second
'erms--a somewhat reversed Phi Beta
Kappa-it could have remained active.