The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-19
AlERRIMAC HERO FAILED TO
PULyERIZE PEPPERY CON-
NECTICUT STATESMAN-HOB-
SONS RECORD SHOWN
RY G. E. STEWART

the purpose of answering charges OF abb
senteelsm which Representative Dono-
van of Connecticut had preferred against
him on the floor of the House.
Mr. Hobson's answer, together with his
assault against the public record of Mr..
Underwood, has been printed in Alabama.
But the reply of Mr.. Donovan to the an
swer of Mr.. Hobson has not been made
public as far as known, in any way
save through the Congressional Record.
Mr.. Hobson did not pulverize Mr.. Dom
oyan AS a matter of fact. Mr.. Donovan,
IL is evident. came out of the broil with
flying colors. Inasmuch as his remarks
produced considerable laughter, 1t is safe
to observe that the speech was enjoyed
by the colleagues of the two. The reply
of the gentleman from Connecticut, con-
tanning the roll call" record of Mr.. Hob
son and the number of times he has
voted with the "standpat' republicans,
follows:
Donovan Is Recognized
Mr.. Donovan. Mr. Speaker, with just
a quotation from the New York World,
| shall conf1ne what l have to say to
matters that took place or that have
failed to take place in this body. What
brought about this on my part was the
fact that We had been here day after
day with very small attendance. This
great money bill came Along, which, in
my opinion, was greater measure than
the tariff mea sure.
The conference report came in about the
same time. AS everyone knows, that
money bill took two or three weeks to
settle. and all these men that had taken
in caucus prominent part in the con-
ference report took a very passive part
in the passing of the money bill.
said one day, What has become OF all
these great meng" Some one called at
tention to the fact that the gentleman
from Alabama (Mr. Hobson) who ad-
dressed us, was hardly ever here. 1t
occurred TO me that that was true. To
it appeared strange Mr.. Speaker,
that a man gifted as he is SO capable of
illustrating his ideas, should absent him.
self. Knowing | did that the rules
that we all have to agree to when the
member says to the occupant OF the
speakers rostrum, 81 take this obliga ton
freely, without any mental reservation or
purpose of evasion, and l will faithfully
discharge the duties of the office on
which am about to enter Geading from
oath administered to members of the
House upon taking their seats.
Did some enemy of that great gentle
man from Alabama (Mr. Hobson) put
that oath in the books in order to get
him in trouble at some later day? O-augh-
teri. Just the other day the floor OF
this House | heard our great speaker
say that it did not meet the question to
have the pot call the Kettle black. but
it seems to be ethical with the gentle
man from. Alabama (Mr Hobson) that
in getting out of a hole he shall pull
somebody else into it. That would be a
fine way to repair a wagon on the high
way. If you have one wagon in a mud
hole, pull another one in 1t.
Mr.. Speaker, there is no one present II
= sSlis body as a member of It, or in any
ther legislative body of which l have
cen a member who would say that
estate to speak the truth. 1t woulc
lake no difference to me whether the
nan of whom | spoke is a member ol
ny party or of some other party | al
Ways try to speak the truth. | have nc
took in trade but the truth. and il
nave made a statement about the gentle
nan that is not true am sorry. | made
I honestly. and made it, as | say
Mr.. Hobson rose.
Mr.. Donovan. Oh, | refuse TO he inter
Y upted My time is limited. OF course
Y n. Speaker, If l had had any idea that
\ 1is was to be turned to artful pur-
Nose, used to parade the gentleman
Mold upon the public or used to take
advantage of the public, then l apologize
10 the other members OF the body fol
having been the cause of such a thing.
Mr.. Speaker. / will supplement my
statement of absenteeism more fully and
clearly. | take the gentleman as he APP
pears from the amateur stage, when he
graduated and l leave out his first term
Let us take now the Sixty-first Con-
gress. in the first session of the Sixty
first Congress there were 81 roll calls
81 yea-and-nay votes. This most delight
full character was absent L. times voting
26. He voted once to make quorum
and once on the question of a quorum
he failed TO vote. Let me repeat that
The gentleman was absent IL times in the
session OF the Sixty-first Congress He
voted with friends upon the other
side, the republicans, six times as against
l2. He voted once to make quorum
and the question OF quorum once
he failed TO vote. Twenty-six times he
voted.
In the second session of the Sixty-irst
Congress the books show that he was
absent IS times, and according to the
books in that second session of the Six
ty-first Congress he voted GO times-two
times more than he was absent In that
same second session of the Sixty-first
Congress he voted with the stand-pat re-
publicans, which WAS a delightful pleas
ure, the books will show, seven times
and in that Congress he voted 10 times
to make a quorum, and that was the
extent of his vote. He voted present
six times, and he failed to vote on the
question of making quorum II times
In the third session of the Sixty-f1rst
Congress he did not vote 43 times. He
voted 50 times. He did little better
that time. He voted with the repub-
Jicans-that great democrat, Hobson from
Alabama--eight times in that session. and
he voted q times to make up quorum
and 10 times he failed to vote in the
making of a quorum. and one time he
Is recorded as being present.
Now let us take the Sixty-second Con-
eress This is where he performed the
duty in most faithful way. In that
Congress there were three sessions In
the first session he did not vote or was
absent 81 times. He voted 12 times-a
beautiful memory. Perhaps l am COM
mitting crime in calling attention to
this, but during the time that Mr.. Speak
er Crisp occupied the chair now occupied
by our distinguished speaker the follow
ing statute was passed:
"The secretary of the Senate and SER
geant-at-arIns of the House. respective
ly. shall deduct from the monthly pay
ments of each member or delegate the
amount of his salary for each day he
has been absent from the Senate or
House respectively. unless such member
or delegate assigns as the reason for
such absence the sickness of himself or
of some member of hfs family"
The only excuse that the distinguished
gentleman makes Is that he has been
paired sometimes; that is. It takes two
members to make pair and it means
that there are two absent. that a man
might pair himself with another at the
beginning of the session. and neither one
need ever come around and yet get the
whole salary. Gaughter). Let me finish
<f.1a axgf -ac ~ fl1A Gixt.