The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-12-18
COMPARES ROOT
TALK WITH MOVIES
Tavenner Says That His Speech Ap-
peared To Throw Flame Of Attack
On Currency Bill only to Outsiders
THOSE INSIDE FELT NO HEAT
IAN Illusion Produced By Big Bust
ness, As a Final Effort to Keep
Bank Reserves in Wall Street"

From Congressman c. H. Tavenner.
, Washington, December 1S.-The
movies" are showing the way to GER
tain politicians now in the public
eye. When the producer of a moving
picture film wants to create the il,
fusion of a fierce fire he uses what
is known in the profession as smoke
bomb. The smoke bomb produces a
vast volume of vapor which gives
the effect of the the real thing to
the moving picture audiences. But
the smoke bomb is perfectly safe.
There is very little fire or heat about
it. It could be used in powder ma
gazine without damage to the seem
cry.
Consequently when a dense volume
OF smoke was seen issuing from the
Senate chamber the other day some
amateur firemen traced it to its
source. Senator Elihu Root was
making his recent, memorable at
tack on the Administrations cur
rency bill. The illusion was perfect
to those not behind the scenes. The
flame of his attack seemed hot and
whitening. But those on the inside
saw no fire nor felt the heat of any,
Mr.. Root viewed with alarm the
a
showed the certainty of currency in
flation to come from the operation
of the law, the inevitable ruin and
destruction to follow the enactment
of the measure. The currency debate
is dry. The telegraph carries but
a smattering of it each day. And
so to those viewing the picture from
Elm 'front.' the illusion of a confla-
grafton was perfect. But those IN
Washington have heard Mr.. Roots
arguments a score of times during
the present debate:. In fact, it is
the stock argument Of the bills Re-
publican opponents who know more
politics than currency. The moving
picture comedian can always get a
laugh by pulling" tumble, and
the average Republican orator.
stock in trade nowadays is to point
to the "Bryanism" in the administra-
tons, legislation. .-
This same attack and argument
about currency imitation was heard
more than once in the House debate
on the bill. 1t was threshed out in
the hearings before both the House
and the Senate committees which act
ed on the currancy bill. And a
great many wise and patriotic men
agreed that the danger Of currency
initiation has been safeguarded in the
pending measure as we'll as it is pos
- sible to safeguard it in any bill de-
signed to make currency elastic.
There was a concert and smooth
ness of operation about the circum
stances of Roots speech that suggest
ed the hidden hand of stage mana
ger pulling the proper strings. Bet
ter and more thoughtful speeches
than Senator Roots have been de-
livered in opposition to the bill, yet
very little has been printed about
them. Senator Burton's speech was
far superior, yet the news distribute
ing services gave it but perfunctory
notice. .@.. -,
Yet, suddenly appears the Senator
from New York and emits some pc
litical smoke, and suddenly the hea-
vens are split. The telegraph news
associations boom great guns about
it, the echoes reverberating from the
Atlantic surf to the Pacific pillows
simultaneously there is given
out a typewriter INTERVIEW
l. ......- 81 +