The Washington herald., 1913-01-19
The Vlndication of Henderson of Greene .&]ii

gan to toss sheets of copy to the frowsy
telegraph boys. running to and fro be-
tween the press gallery and the Western
| Union. We were chiefly interested Just
then whether Berry would vote right or
not. / was keeping an eye on him, and
noticed that he was beginning to fidget
In his seat and chew his cigar. and fear
paper into little pieces. And the roll
call went on:
".Beelr
".Aye"
".Bepr
MOI
Bell, Of course. was on the other side,
and was standing back with George Her
rick, keeping their fellows in line and
cheering UP the reformers from the
Municipal League. but we knew his vote
would have its effect on Berry, so
pulled the speakers coat tail. and 'Zeke
leaned over and whispered hoarsely 20
the clerk Hen observed a heightened
pause and then began TO call more slow
ly. Berry was the next name.
Berry, Berry, Hen drawled.
There was no reply.
Hen looked at Berry. and the poltroon
sat there with his eyes cast down. roll
ing 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"
mol! he voted, and Berry looked up
for the first time since the bill had come
over from the Senate. 'Zeke raped
fiercely with his gavel, and Hen paused.
Then 'Zeke said sharply:
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 admonition 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 broken sounding board again with
his gavel. We needed time. Some OF
the members laughed. but that only gave
'Zeke a chance to gain more time by
rapping for order. We feared the ef-
feet, however. on discipline. Then he
called Brisbane, one OF our fellows, and
he didn't vote. 1 grew uneasy. and
Judge Hardin was squirming there beside
me on the lounge. When / thought OF
Berry / grew mad. and wondered IL we
could save the bill without him. Al
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. He seemed
not TO have moved. He had his hands
clasped awkwardly behind him, and wa
chewing his tobacco contemplatively. And
here was my chance! i thought of the
pathetic biography in the House direc-
tory. ! 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 toiIed for
her and all those children, and how lit
tie life held for him. II I could get him
for the bill in Berry's place, the Chi
cago people. / knew, would be liberal with
him, and he could go back home better
of in a financial way than when he
came. And so / motioned to Burke. and
when he came up l told him to ask the
once in the Speakers room, and / re-
tired to await him. Presently. in his
clumsy way. he shuftied in. He came
close up to me, and when l had given the
poor devil a 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
II. inasmuch as the Governor had said
Il was a bad piece of legislation. Well.
there was no time to discuss that phase
Look here, comrade,' l said, this
is a bill that concerns Chicago alone
1t does not affect and cannot affect your
constituents one way or the other, can
it%
NO he said; reckon not
They don't even know down in
Greene County that there is such a bill.
do they?'
Reckon not he said, Ieastways I
hain't heerd ary one say nothin' bout
it
"'Ot course you haven't 1 said, and
what's more. you never will Now. See
here I said, III be quite frank with
you. for I like you'-he cast a strange
siding glance at me, distrustful, like all
farmers for I like you,' I said, and
l want to do something for you. The
men who are promoting this legislation
have exactly enough votes to pass IT
over the Governors veto, and it's going
TO pass. On this ballot they will have
just ninety-one votes-one OF their men
will vote against II to move a recon-
sideration IL necessary, and about ten
will not vote. When the absentees are
called. these ten will vote for the bill.
and on the verification. you'll see others
tumbling into the band wagon. Now.
your vote is not needed, as you see. and
cast for the bill or against It, can have
no appreciable effect upon the result. The
bill will pass without your vote, and
cannot defeat II. for the hundred and
two will stand firm in the end. One Of
them. however-it is Berry. don't mind
telling you-is trying. at the last min
ute. to force US into raising his price
You can take his place, you can have
his price OF the easy money with his
raise added. II YOU will go out there and
vote for the bill
He stood looking at the floor. rum
mating.
- know, Henderson, I continued.
that you are a poor man, that you
have a large family. that you have to
work hard for a living. You are going
home tomorrow, maybe not to come
back here any more, and you can go.
IL you wish. with 5000 clean, cold cash
in your pocket What do you say?"
THE old man turned his face away
and began TO tumble with his horny
fingers at his chin. His hand trembled
rs with a palsy. We could hear the
roll call going on outside:
"'Donavin'
".Aye"
'Donnelly!'
"'Ayer |
Evans
Mo-
"'Finerty-
".Ayer
'Fitzmeyer"
AYE"
"'Flanigan!'
"Ayer
Hear themT I said, It's nearly I'D