Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-02

of Maine live the Dingey tariff in operation for
long All tariff bills are leaps in the dark and nobody
knows how the arrangement will turn out until it
complished. There Is point in every duty upon every
article imported into the United States at which
portations will stop and the country begin to manu-
facture for itself To find this elusive point is the
ribe task set before tariff makers The exception
this superstition that tariff bill is killer the late
Senator Morrill, of Vermont. As Representative Sen
ator Morrill, engineered the great tariff that carried
the United States through the Civil War paying its way
as it along Senator Morrill, lived eighty eight
The House usually sits until five, but often much
later, and there are frequent night sessions.
Part of every Representatives time and eloquence is
conscientously given buncombe The history of this
phrase is that in the early days Representative from
Buncombe County, North Carolina, got up and pro-
ceeded to make long speech about something in which
the House had neither interest business The mem
Der called to order by another member the ground
that the speech not germane to the question This
the North Carolina member frankly admitted, saying,
Il know it; but am talking for Buncombe County,
North Carolina"
The House was so charmed with this apt name for
practice that "buncombe' became incorporated
into the American language. good deal of talking for
buncombe is still INDUCED in by astute Representatives.
TOWARD the close of Congress, when business be-
comes pressing and the House and Senate engage in
fierce conflicts over appropriations night sessions ale
often called The Speaker issues for the
of members who brought before the bar and sernly
Intercepted as to why they not in the House at
tending to their business When the social season is
enough where to corral their who generally
dining Many Washington dinners and receptions
have been invaded by officers of the House with war
rants for the of members who compelled to 60
The excuses given when they arragned before the
bar of the House of varied character. Repre-
sentative will plead that he attending the bedside
Of invalid FRIEND when another Representative, who
has been tong and mong during the evening will call
attention to the fact that the Representative is IN even
ing dress and has flower in his buttonhole Another
will explain with deep pathos that ne was writing letters
he
got the flight of time Then he is much embarrassed by
fellow Representative asking what the limit OF the
game Each and everyone is entirely innocent of any
desire to shrk his duties and is ready to sit at his desk
attending the public business until he drops dead
Nevertheless, there is great deal of absenteeism
There obsolete law that members may be deprived
of their pay for the days they not IN attendance at
the House, but although the party whips occasionally
threaten enforce this law it is too much in the nature
of boomerang to be popular
powers and sometimes it turns their heads he
celebrated expression, "A bigger than old Grant,
Texan deputy Sergeant at Arms in President
Grants administration. The deputy Sergeant exulting
his magnifcence bearer, wrote OF his glory
to friend in Texas saying am bigger man than old
Grant By some means the letter became public ana
the expression became classic But IN addition to the
deputy Sergeant at Arms being "a bigger man than
old Grant, he went on to say that he received very
marked attentions not only from the Speaker but from
Mrs. Kerr the Speakers wife, woman OF the utmost
dignity and propriety. This was more than Speaker
Kerr could stand so the deputy Sergeant promptly
retired to private life.
His famous phrase however, remains component
part of the American language like another immortal
Texan Webster Flanagan, who, in Republican Ma
tonal Convention, when a speaker declared they were
there for the sake OF the ofhces inquired men
what are we here for?"
Another favorite phrase in the House of Representa-
tves is that of Tom Watson of Georgia. The proceed
ings on bill having got into parliamentary tange, Mr.
Watson shouted mir. Speaker, where we att"
The only qualification specified for Representatv,e;
is that he shall be twenty-five years of age and shall
have been citizen for at least seven years. and shall be
4oftl ,o Ctnta he In this