Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-03-18
ITEMS OF INTEREST
At NATIONS CAPITAL
Special Representative Will
Public Opinion Readers Pos. q
SPECIAL ATTENTION GIVFN
TO NEWS OF IOWA PEOPLE
Interesting Developments OF Ma.
tiOn's Affairs Tersely Described
by Former IOwan for Iowa
Readers.
Public Opinion Bureau
Washington, D. c., March 16, 1914

Washington, D. c., March 16, 1914.
From The Gallery of the House.
Conditions were somewhat nor
NAL upon that Saturday afternoon
when this brief story was gathered
from the gallery. One hears consid-
cradle about the large membership
of the House of Representatives,
and l counted the occupants of the
benches and found that all but 3S8
of the ABS members were present,
earning the salary the government
pays. On the minority side sat
twenty-three statesmen, and in the
Democratic rows were exactly the
same number, but the hoodoo was
saved the majority by counting the
illustrious occupant of the Chair. In
vain / looked for the celebrities of
Congress, and only Mann, the Re-
publican leader, with his bristly
beard was there. AS a matter of fact
most of our best exhibits have stayed
at home as the result of the last
election. After a while Champ
Clark strobe down the aisle, thus
gratifying the hungry eyes Of tour
lists. 1t was his sixty-fourth birth
day, and a few hours before he had
paved the air with terrible denun-
citation of some college professor who
had made a very foolish charge that
the Speaker had falsely counted a
of his party. So far as Washington
is concerned, formal denial by the
Speaker was absolutely unnecessary
But we are told that the country does
not always think the same as Wash
ington. a, ..f
Across the room beside the chisel-
reposed the grinning face of legen-
dairy authority. Behind the presid-
ing officer hung the Star Spangled
Banner; on either side of the desk
were the pictures of Washington and
Lafayette, and a frieze by Brumidi
showed Washington and CORVALLIS
in conference at yorktown.
Representative Lever of South
Carolina was making a speech IN
which he suggested the colloqual
''doncher know" in describing the
needs of the farmers. He roundly
criticised those who found fault with
the Agricultural appropriation bill,
which was then under consideration;
and in an exchange of boquets he and
Representative Mclaughlin of Michi-
gan paid splendid compliments to
one another, causing Representative
Anderson of Minnesota to interject
inQuiring remarks as to whether
others should not be included in the
Alphonse-Gaston performance. In the
rough and tumble debate one of the
Congressman had a good deal to say
about 'Iowere,'' evidently having
failed to note the observation of this
correspondence regarding the hab-
its of some Senators who say "Io-
way"
A man with an ear trumpet finally
showed up, and he was pointed out
as General Sherwood, who secured a
dollar a day" for all pensioners.
Then came Murdock, famous for fl
cry hair and speech, and in the pub
lie eye because of his leadership of
the Progressives.
While two or three Congressman
tried to speak at the same time, the
4 presiding officer energetically sup
ported the stop watch and brought
down his mallet with tremendous
''whacks" thereby numbering much
Congressional eloquence.
Meanwhile the Agricultural ap-
preparation bill bowled merrily on
itsway, and when the absentees grew
to four hundred, our little party de-
cidea that it was time for us too,
to depart.
Fixing the Trust Bills.
Before the antitrust bills are to
become really and truly Administra-
tion measures, they are to be mater
tally doctored under the direct SUI
pervision of that able physician of
egislation-Doctor Woodrow Wilson
President of the United States. The
Judiciary Committee of the House
has been having its hearings. and
this has resulted in the President
taking Chairman Clayton " ana "A Ms
colleagues of the committee fiAt0- .
White House conference for the pur-
CONTINUED on last pager