Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-11-20
MOVE IS MADE TO
CLEANSE RECORD
ON IN CONGRESS TO
HAVE PRINTED ONLY SPEECHES
THAT ARE ACTUALLY MADE.
TBY ELISHA HANSON.1

Washington, d. G., Nov. 19.-Sena
tor Lewis this week tried to get the
senate to print the speech OF George
Nv. Human, former editor Of the Chi
cago Inter Ocean, on the occasion OF
inauguration as president of Marietta
college, in the Congressional Record
Senators Bacon and Gallinger objected
declaring that in the future nothing
should go into the senate portion OF
the record that wasn't spoken on the
floor Of the senate. ..
Now, If such a reform should be put
through the house, congress would
have to run twenty-four hours day,
1851 days q year, for it is absolutely
|i,npossible to keep congressman from
| flooding their districts with speeches,
and it is almost as difficult to hear a
good speech delivered on the floor OF
the house. .....
Incidentally, If the reform Is carried
great ways 1t may amount to a
speeding up of the nations business:
There have been some famous talk
ers in congress. During the time John
j Wesley Gaines was member OF the
house, he perforated on every known
subject under the sun and occasionally
flew of into the clouds. Representa-
tive Mondell Of Wyoming. never
misses an opportunity to get into the
record and he always insists on con-
Stunning the time Of the house to get
there. Republican Leader Mann is
great talker, having fund of informa-
ton on all the subjects of legislation
and practically all that are not sub
ject to legislation. The late Senator
Hepburn never sat down in the senate,
so they say, and if another senator
made a speech, he spoke only because
of the courtesy of Senator Hepburn In
Yielding the floor. During the tar1n
debate Senators Smoot, Cummins and
Williams were on their feet practically
all the time.
This all refers to talk, however.
Illustrations In the Congressional Rec
ord have been few and far between.
The most effective incident in the his
tory Of the house Of representatives
never got into the record because OF
the refusal of congress to permit an
illustration.
Last congress, Theron Akin, an in
dependent from New York, arose one
day and got recognition for five min
utes. He sauntered down the aisle
and uncovered two large drawings.
One of them was thu full dinner pail,
as pictured by prominent party back
in 1896 and 1900. The other was the
dinner pail, minus the steak, cof1ee,
fruit, cake, ETC., with only large lem
on in 1t.
The house burst into laughter.
Akin was expected to make some Wig
orous comment. Instead, he only
stood and waved his hands towards
the drawing. When his Ave minutes
were up, the speaker hammered his
desk with his gavel, and recognized an
other gentleman. But the next day,
Akin was prevented from getting DIS
illustrations in the record and the
famous speech without words was
printed only in the newspapers.
Honor For Kenyon.
The w. G. r. u. has decided to
honor Senators Kenyon of Iowa, and
Sheppard of Texas, with life member
ships because Of their antl-liquor ef-
forts In congress. They prepared the
famous Kenyon-Sheppard bill which
passed in an amended form as the
Webb-Kenyon bill last congress. The
w. G. T. U. recently voted large sum
of money to assist Representative Hob
son of Alabama, In his fight for the
senate against Majority Leader Under
wood.
Robert l.. Won Boskirk Of Marengo,
has been named second alternate Dy
Representative Pepper Of the second
district for the West Point exam1na-
tons next year. ra"-. a