Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-11
THE SENATE


and accessible refuge when the Senator does
not want to be seen. He is reported as
being at the Capitol; but on inquiry it is
| found that he is neither in his seat, nor in
his committee room, nor in the restaurant,
nor on the floor of the House of Representa-
tives, nor in the office building. When all
these points are settled, the Senator comes
up smiling from the tunnel.
The Senate has its own way of transact
ing business. When filibuster is on hand
for the grave and dignifed Senators are
inveterate filibusters-a compromise is often
reached by what is called a "gentlemen's
agreement" This is purely oral and in
formal; but is strictly inviolable.
PUT, however much Senators may dis
- agree among themselves, they stand
shoulder to shoulder when it comes to a
the Senate Conflicts with the House are
very common, and then, on both sides,
party and personal antagonisms are forgotten
and it comes down to regular tug of war.
The Senate has its own method of snub-
bling the President when it chooses, and
many Presidents have been put on the grill by
it, An amusing situation came about between
the Senate and President Roosevelt in the
last month of his administration. The SEN
ate always resents any attempt at d1ctatlon
or even instruction from the President, and
it got tired of President Roosevelts frequent
messages and concluded to turn the Presi-
dent down. 1t is the custom, whenever
message is received from the President, for
the messenger, who is always known, to
enter the door of the Senate Chamber facing
the Vice President. AS soon as the meSsen-
ger is well inside, he makes bow which is
- 1,,x H. -
is announced, "a message from the Presi
dent"
Pending business is then suspended by
courtesy until the message is delivered and
read by the reading clerk. The Senate, how
ever, got more messages from the President
than it cared about, and especially one in
which President Roosevelt returned bill,
declaring it was not properly drawn, and
pointing out how the defects should be rem
edied. Now, President Roosevelt was not a
great lawyer, and the Senate is always an
aggregate of the best lawyers in the country.
The notion of President Roosevelt teaching
the Senate how to construct bills, was like
teaching his grandmother to milk ducks. AS
the reading clerk read the President message
out the grave and reverend Senators leaned
back in their chairs and smiled, until the
reading closed, when the Senate calmly re-
Su1IleQ us BUSINESS WITHOUT Taking the Sight
est notice of the communication.
A day or two afterward still another mes
sage came from the President; but, instead
of stopping its work the Senate went right
along, leaving the messenger standing at the
door waiting for recognition. At this, SEN
ator Lodge reminded the Senate caustically
that messenger was at the door bearing a
message from the President of the United
States. Not Senator budged peg, and
the debate went on unchecked. Then Sen
ator Culberson of Texas rose and rebuked
his Republican colleagues for ignoring a
message from the President; but this did
no more good than Senator Lodges expos
tulation. The Senate resumed the debate
in leisurely manner. At last, when every
thing had been said, and there was nothing
more to do, the messenger was recognized
and the message delivered and promptly
ignored.
1t is delicate thing for President to
attempt to instruct Congress- and any
President who tries it is made to smart for
it. President Cleveand's unlucky remark,
II have Congress on my hands," cost him
fearful price. At the same time, any Sena-
tor attacking the President personally is al
ways severely punished by being left out in
the cold on committee assignments.
A SENATOR must be thirty wears old