Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-23
One PresideS and Several
Others Quack at Press Club.
'G0DSPEEO' TO DEMOCRATS
Former Speaker Cannon Wishes
Them Well-Pays Tribute to Taft.
DIx0N's PREDICTIONS AMUSE
Rowland Philosophers Humorously.
Nye, Rodenberg and Berger
Make Contributions. q

Seeing the humorous side of their recent
political misfortuneS. a group of public
men last night made fun of themselves
and each other at the National Press
Club for the benefit OF its members and
their guests. in speeches which all, in
some part or other. held the mirror to
the more serious side of present day con
dltions, with vein of prophecy running
| in between freely-eXpressed hopefulness
and optimism for the future.
1t was what was called lame duck
night the Tame ducks being those
who We're not reelected to Congress last
| fall. or in whose states political results
We're such as to preclude the possibility
of their returning to public life I'm Wash
ington March 4. In one case that Of q.
A. Lyon. jr.. a newspaper man told how
| 1t felt to be Tame duck. Mr.. Lyon
having been defeated for the presidency
of the National Press Club at the last
/ election.
| Former Speaker Cannon wished tn.
democracy .Godspeed'' in their coming
administration. Senator Dixon predicted
a progressive candidate would be elected
| to the presidency at the next election.
Representative Howland. Representative
Rodenberg and Representative Nye spoke
and letter was read from Representa-
| tive Berger, in which he said the socialist
party was the only party that made
gains at the last election. although he
personally, was defeated.
Mr.. Lyon called the assembly to order
and introduced c. X. Bergman. another
member of the club. as the Chief Duck
| Chaser of the evening. For the un-
| initiated, il may be as we'll to state that
| the duties of Chief Duck Chaser on
i Lame Duck Night are similar to those
of toastmaster at banquet.
MI. Lyon Explains His Position.
Mr.. Lyon was the first speaker. He
said. in part:
THE National Press Club always does
things right Whenever it gives party
it provides all the appropriate appur.e-
nances. When il holds a Hobby night
1t offers as starter one who is shrewd
| judge of human horsef1esh. with a keen
| eye for a close finish. Now that il has
| assembled for a public exhibition OF their
| wounds and woes the most notable men,
| berS OF the lame duck family that WASH
/ ington Affords it presents presiding
officer it's own sample of the same species
| To those who are not acquainted with
| recent Press Club history. il is due 70
explain that a few weeks ago | aspired
|
cation. An overwhelming majority Of
| the members. however. viewed the sit
| uatiOn from different angle. and con-
| sequently / am qualified to act here to-
| night in this capacity as who has
/! been elected not to serve.
But there is comfort in the company
am keeping tonight. We stand here to-
night living. though halting. evidences OF
! the incOnceivable, shortsightedness OF
those upon whom the franchise has been
| bestowed.
Having thus established a community
Of interests between the club as repre-
sented i'm my unworthy person, and our
distinguished guests who are about 10
raise their voices i'm philosophy and ex-
planation il is my duty to turn the ac-
tual management of the duck pond over
to the chief chaser of the evening. | con
fess that l am somewhat puzzled as 10
the thought that has governed in his
lection. He is no lame duck. On the con-
trary, he has been uniformly and unin-
terruptedly successful throughout his bril-
liant career. Certainly no one can make
a better-looking portrait out Of unprom-
ising material than he. 1t gives me great
pleasure to present as the master of
| ceremonies, Mr.. X. Clifford Bergman of
| The Washington Star.
Bergman up" on Ducks.
Mr. Bergman had evidently been
! studying ducks. or at least their char
preparation for last nights sport. for
he betrayed. SO the members OF the
| club said, more knowledge Of ducks OF
| all kinds than there is in dictionaries.
| encyclopedias and natural histories. He
| mentioned more different kinds OF
ducks by their first names, thus show
ing his familiarity with them. than
most of the club members had ever
heard Of before, and he gained from his
audience for himself as well as his sub
| ject prolonged applause when he Al
| luded to former Speaker Cannon AZ q
| canvas back" who might canvass nis
way back to Congress.
Former Speaker Cannon. in beginning
| his speech, greatly delighted his audience
by burlesqueing his own often seen ana
well remembered gestures and phrases
| used by him at public banQuets. Again
and again, he began.
"Now, you don't want to hear mo
say" Whereupon he would sonorousfy
roll out the familiar old phrases:
I'm the fullnesS Of time," in tho lass
analysis" and others he has made famous
on many public occasions.
Terms Taft a Great Man.
Speaking seriously, as he said he wished
to do for q minute or two. Mr.. Cannon,
alluding to President Taft, called him
a great man," "a great Governor of
the Philippines" and otherwise praised
the Presidents good qualities. but he
said the President had failed to grasp
that this is a government through ma
jorities and that that meant organiza-
tion.''
"I asked Schuette when he came after
me-" Mr.. Cannon said, who had spoken
before me. He said Dixon. Now, / like
Senator Dixon. We were both born in
North Carolina. Some time ago, when
1 was Speaker of the House, there was a
democrat i'm the seat in that body that
Dixon afterward occupied, and l knew in
the swinging OF the pendulum back and
forth in time would come republican
from Montana. That democrat did not
get a smell, even. at the pie plate. When
Dixon came 1 asked him what he wanted.
He said. Il want the valley of the Big
Horn and the valley of the Little Big
Horn thrown open to settlement. ] said
Well the republicans are in power. L
am for throwing things open to settle
ment And. anyhow, l visited that coun-
try, once.
Tribute to '.Old North State"
"And 50 it was thrown open. Then
afterward there was the Flathead reser-
walton and the Crow reservation, TO be
.l.o,r,, cv>ou and fhey were and if there