River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-08-07

Bell
"No!
BELL, of course, was on the other
side, and was standing back with
George Herrick, keeping their fellows
in line and cheering. up the reformers
from the Municipal league, but we
knew his vote would have it's effect on
Berry, so l pulled the speakers coat
tail, and 'Zeke leaned over and whis-
pered hoarsely to the clerk Hen OBJ
served a heightened pause and then
began to call more slowly. Berry
was the next name.
Berry, Hen drawled.
There was no reply.
Berry,
There was no reply.
Hen looked at Berry, and the pol
troon sat there with his eyes cast
down, rolling his cigar around and
around in his mouth, tearing up his
little flakes of paper, and swinging
from side to side in his chair. Then
Hen called the next name:
Briggs!'
:" MOI he voted, and Berry looked
up for the first time since the bill had
come over from the senate. 'Zeke
raped f1ercely with his gavel, and
Hen paused. Then 'Zeke said sharply:
1.-The chair is compelled again to
call the attention of gentlemen to rule
three, which prohibits smoking in the
hall of the house. The chair dislikes
to be compelled to repeat this admOni-
ton SO frequently, and trusts that
gentlemen will observe the injunction
without additional suggestion. The
clerk will proceed with the calling of
the ROLL And he smashed the bro
ken sounding board again with his
gavel. We needed time. Some of the
members laughed, but that only gave
'Zeke chance to gain more time by
rapping for order. We feared the eff
feet, however, on discipline. Then he
called Brisbane, one of our fellows,
and Judge Hardin was squirming there
beside me on the lounge. When
thought of Berry l grew mad, and
wondered IL we could save the bill
without him. At that instant my eye
happened to light upon Henderson OF
Greene. He was standing under the
gallery just as he had been standing
all evening. Ee seemed not to have
moved. He had his hands clasped
awkwardly behind him, and was chew
ing his tobacco contemplatiyely. And
here was my chance! / thought of the
pathetic biography in the house direc-
tory. I thought of his wife as | had
seen the poor old thing going around
town with him the week before.
thought of the way he had worked and
toiled for her and all those children,
and how little life held for him. If
could get him for the bill In Berry's
place, the Chicago people, knew,
could go back home better off In a
financial way than when he came.
And so / motioned to Burke, and
when he came up told him to ask
the gentleman from Greene to meet
me at once In the speakers room, and
I retired to await him. Presently, in
his clumsy way, he shuffed in. He
came close up to me, and when / had
given the poor devil cigar he bent
over to hear what | might say.
asked him how he was going to vote
on the bill, and he said he thought
he would vote against it, inasmuch as
the governor had said it was bad
piece of legislation. Well. there was
no time to discuss that phase of the
question.
Look here, comrade.' ] said, this
is a bill that concerns Chicago alone
it does not affect and cannot affect
your constituents one way or the 9TH
er, can it?'
No. he said; reckon not
They don't even know down in
Greene county that there is such bill,
do they?'
Reckon not he said, 1eastways /
hain't heerd airy one say nothin' bout
it,
"'Of course you haven't said, and
what's more, you never will. Now,
see here l said, I'll be quite frank
with you, for l like you'-he cast a
strange, siding glance at me, dis
trustful, like all farmers-for | like
you.' l said, and | want to do some
thing for you. The men who are pro-
noting this legislation have exactly
enough votes to pass it over the gov
errors veto. and it's going to pass.