The Elbert County tribune., 1913-08-29


ticuiar for their failure to act on some
measure in which he was Interested.
As the debate waxed warmer the Re
publican member became more and
more worked up over the subject.
Finally he charged members of
congress generally with idleness.
Look at the farmerl' he shouted.
He produces the food upon which we
live. The honest laborer, toiling home
at eve to his humble supper, fur
nishes the motive power for this great
civilization. The storekeeper fur
nishes the storehouse and the weaver
the cloth that goes within the store
house. All these do their share. Why
should we in congress delay? What
are we producing?'
Instantly the southerner was on his
feet, courteously requesting recogni-
ton. After gaining permission to
speak he turned to the excited Repub-
lican and said:
L will enlighten the gentleman IL
he SO Desires
~ do said the Republican.
Then, said the southerner, L will
tell the gentleman on the other side
of the chamber that congress pro
duces more talk per capita than any
| Organization in the world"
Serene e. Payne. ranking minority
member of the ways and means COM
mittee, recalls this as the quickest re-
tort he ever heard In congress.
Many years ago Representative
Springer of Illinois was debating on
the floor of the house. During the
course of his speech he made several
remarks of rather variant nature
| without apparently realizing the blum
der that he was making. After he
had talked about ten minutes Tom
Reed arose and interrupted him.
The gentleman from Illinois, said
Reed, has made three distinct state
ments of a contradictory nature. |
would like to remark that any one OF
the three could be used to aisprove
the Others
Springer, taken aback, thanked
Reed, who sat down. He delivered
rather fiowery effort, In which he
expressed his satisfaction at having
been brought to book by Reed.
Then he concluded:
"'And l will say, Mr.. Speaker In
words that have been used before, I
would rather be right than be presi-
dent
Reed did not arise. but smiled sar-
donically.
"No danger of your being either
he yelled across the aisle.
Senator Boise Penrose of Pennsyl-
vania, who has himself been the hero
of many debates, also regards Tom
Reed as his beau ideal of the man
with the lightning retort.
Ono of Reeds sharpest shafts was
| flung during the debate on the Wilson
tariff" said Senator Penrose. "The
argument had been bitter. and the
fight against the measure had been
determined. When the bill finally
passed the house a group of Wilson's
friends. among them William Jennings
Bryan, picked him up on their shoul-
ders and carried him about the cham
ber
Tom Reed had been watching the
proceeding in saturnipe sort of way.
When Wilson and his triumphant
bearers reached the center doors of
the chamber Reed lifted up his rau-
cous voice and shouted:
You may carry him out now. while
you have the chance. The people OF
the United States will carry him out
next November
And it turned out to be as Reed
had prophesied"
What clings to my mind as one
OF the most amusing incidents ever
witnessed in debate" said Senator
John Sharp Williams of Mississippi.
grew out of not exactly retort. but
speech that was delivered by the
late Senator Robert Taylor of Teunes.
see. In this address the senator,
using his pose of preternaturaI sol.
emnity. announced that he had list.
ened in a state bordering on scupe-
faction to the splendid tributes which
had been paid to various American in
dustries.
Then he turned toward Senator
Hepburn OF Idaho. whose speech in