The Washington herald., 1913-03-05
MIR. TAFT SENDS FINAL
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS

| 1t was now IL 40 O'Clock, and every
body was expecting the announcement
which would begin the formal cere-
monies of the day. But instead OF this
a tall young man in a frock coat moved
| down the center aisle of the Senate
ard announced:
THE President directs me to pre-
sent TO Congress a message in writ
ing"
| This turned out to be Mr. Taft's last
Communication to Congress. and for a
while II threatened to play havoc with
| the plans that had been made for the
Wilson Inauguration. 1t was partly
responsible for the failure to rush the
entire programme through on time.
This communication was a veto Of
| the sundry civil bill. carrying millions
of dollars to run the government. Mr..
Taft had vetoed the bill because IL ex-
| empted labor unions and farmers from
prosecutions under the Sherman anti
trust law
The reading of the message had no
sooner been concluded than Senator
PoindeXter Of Washington was on his
feet He seized upon this opportunity
to attack the Washington police for their
failure to protect the suffragists in their
parade on Monday. He talked on and on
and on. and everybody grew nervous
and glanced at the clock. which then in
dicated ll-JO. 1nasnuch as the Washing
ton Senator seemed to be wound UP for
a long run. inauguration or no inaugu-
ration. the Senate clerk hurried around
and turned the big hand OF the clock
back half an hour. This is an old trick
that the Senate has of persuading itself
that it is really conducting its affairs
within the law and adjourninE al the
exact minute set for the expiration OF
the Congress, which in this instance. OF
course. was L. o'clock
Mr.. Poindexter was So badly worked
up over this question that 1t looked for
a time as il the Senate clerk would have
to give the clocks hand another twist
One or two Senators who were beginning
TO get nervous over a President and
President elect and all the foreign rep
resentatlves. not to mention the MEM
bers of the House and the Supreme Court
who were being kept waiting outside.
One or two Senators suggested that MT
Polndexter was out OF order, and Mr.
Poindexter allowed that he wasn't. and
Senator Gallinger, who was presiding.
decided that Mr.. PoindeXter knew what
he was talking about.
Senator Lodge, after fidEetIng IN his
seat for several minutes. hurried up 10 the
Vice Presidents desk and whispered to
Gallinger. Senator Stone OF missouri
moved around softly and whispered In the
other car of the presiding Otficer. Senator
Crane who was responsible for the ar
rangements. paced up and down the CEN
ter aisle looking at the clock and twid-
ding his watch chain. Senator Bacon.
Who shares the burden of the arrange
ments with Senator Crane. shook his fin
ger and wagged his head dIsapprovinCly.
At this point in came Senator Warren
and Senator Martin. OF the Congress COM
mittee which had waited upon the rresl-
dent. POndeXter was still talking. hut
upon special request cased for breath
long enough to permit Senator Warren
to report that ;he President had no fur !
ther communications 10 send To Congress.
Then Poindexter picked up the thread
of his discourse again. and the clock again
showed that II was II: :5J.
At last Senator Swanson Of Virginia |
popped up and allowed that if Mr.. Poin- Z
dexter really was n friend OF the bill .
he would stop talking and let the SEN |
ate vote. /
Poindexter wasn't certain that he want I
ed the bill to pass. BY this time mes
sages began to como from the House ,
of Representatives. the Supreme Court. /
the foreign representatives. the President
and President-elect. and a few other less
important sources, as to what had hap
pened.
Again Mr.. Poindexter raused long
for Senator Newlands to take
the chair. Senator Martin arose and
presented the usual resolution. thanking
the Presidents pro tempOre, Senators Gal
linger and Bacon. for the dignified. i'm
partial and courteous manner in which
they had presided over the Senate This
was adopted unanimously and Poindexter
went on.
Also the big hands of the clock were
moved a little farther away from the
hour OF twelve.
Finally. however. the Washington Sem
ator had had his say and sat down. In
a jiffy wiry young man in a frock
coat stepped out into the middle aisle
Of the Senate and announced in a SOL
emn voice:
''The Speaker and the Members of the
House of Representatives"