The Washington times., 1912-03-04
CELEBRITIES ARE
MERRILY "JOSHED'
AT MOMUS DINNER
Presidential Booms Are
Kicked About at Print
ers' Fete,

No guilty-or innocent-man escaped
unscathed at the annual dinner of the
knights of Momus held last evening
at Rauscher's, and the cries of the
wounded would be loud in the land to-
day If the spirit of fun had not been
recognizedly behind the blows, and IL
a common fate had not been suffered
by ALL Nearly every dignitary in
Washington less than the President
was at the dinner except the Spirit ot
Reverence, particularly reverence of
Presidential ambitions. Even the hound
dog song was satirized, and guests and
speakers did not stop kicking around
other candidates. until the lights were
extinguished.
Members of Congress present saw a
mock House organized with many a
familiar makeup in evidence. Satire
and burlesque did not stop at caricatur-
Ing various facial eccentrIcities, but
mannerlsms of voice, of gesture, and
even of the way of holding ones cigar
were taken off. The particularly carl
catured men were seated at the various
tabls.
The Power Press Row.
The knights of Momus had Senator
was certain that he being present and
various prominent plate printers also
some echo would sound of the conten-
tions in committee over hand and pow
er presses Echo sounded too of the
allegation that leather novelties had
been made by employees, of material In
tended for bookbinding purpose, and
Senator Smoot waving aloft leather
Al H. ahA
that he did not believe the charge, but
that he thought there ought to be a
new public printer.
Samuel B. Donnelly, present holder Of
the title, smiled pleasantly at Senator
Smoot, and Senator Smoot smiled pleas
ant at him. When the applause died
down Mr.. Donnelly was still smiling
but wondering a little If the applause
was all for the fun of the thing or If
few present had echoed the sentiment
in earnest. But he had his own say SO
a little later.
Mr.. Kidd As Speaker"
Toastmaster Frank Kidd was speaker
Of the house, and his first act was to
recognize T. C. Parsons, who masquer-
AIDED as a certain statesman from Ala
bama. Mr.. Parsons urged that conduct
of the House be reformed so that here
after all members be given a qualified
number such as prison convicts wear.
Members of Congress present did their
best to look pleased at the suggestion.
Some had to strain a little.
Samuel GompcTst of the American
Federation of Labor. talked, strangely
enough, on labor matters and their re-
lation to Congress. Mr.. Gompers said
1t panied him deeply to remark that
there were times when he and a ma
that he always felt sorry for people
in such error. Far from him, however,
to suggest that this was due to con-
genital stupidity on anybodys part.
Congressman Farr of Pennsylvania
got cheer by remarking that he came
from the greatest insurgent State in
the Union" Some diners seemed to
think the speaker ironlc in tendency.
The Other Speakers.
There were others speakers, many
of them. The fun list includes: SeEa-
tor Smoot, Public Printer Donnelly,
Postmaster Merritt, Congressman Dyer,
Missouri: Murdock, Kansas; Sherwood,
Ohio; Farr. Pennsylvania; Stack. Illi-
nois; George, New York; Kahn. Cali
fornia McDermott, Illinois; Wilson,
Pennsylvania; SissOn, Mississippi, and
Reilly, of Illinois.
The name of Theodore Roosevelt was
mentioned once or twice or thrice dur
ing the evening. Toastmaster Kidd
aimed for Rooseveltian reference by
promising that he, the speaker, as
toa astmaster, would not accept a third
consecutive term.
Congressman Dyer of Missouri was at
the dinner to boost for Champ Clark.
and he predicted that the houn' dawg
song will be heard a year hence on
Pennsylvania avenue. There was scat
tering applause.
Frank Smith, official scrivener, read
the record of what happened at the 1911
annual dinner. AS Mr.. Smith will per-
m he -
the only man who was not roasted -
knocked" "kldded," 'jo9hcd," ami
'spoofed' last night.