The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1914-10-23
By Gibson Gardner


DELPHoS. Kan. Oct. 23.-The
old snnff box which hangs on the
wall OF the United States senate
chamber. near the desk Of the pre-
siding officer. figures prominently
In the speeches which Victor Muir
dock II making TO the Kansas farm
.fa
He tells how the old box. unused
for 20 years. Is kept filled with
government snuff. in case a sena-
tor should come along who might
wish TO annff.snuff."
/ The farmers have never heard
OF ih. snuff box, and are always
amused.
Il shall not wage war on their
old snuff box" Murdoch assures
them. but Id like TO have you
send me down there long enough
10 gct my hands on few old things
IN tn. senate not so harmless as
their snuff box"
One OF those things. Murdoch ex-
plains. II senatorial courtesy"
This 10 az near as I can de-
fine senatorial courtesy" he
Il Gays; THAT when I am q SEN
! stor and want 70 put through
/ my little deal and put II on
. personsl basis, then you 9th.
1 er senators get out Of my way
and let me get by with my 1T
tie deal; and then some other
time do the same for you"
/ He illustrates the working OF
senatorial courtesy" In the appro-
priaiion OF the Kansas farmers
money To build a $4,000 public
building at Snndane. Wye, or some
other cactns-desert town.
Send me 10 the senate" says
Victor. "and promise you that
somehow don't know what part
OF the crltter may lay hold OF.
leg. tail or ear. but I'll give Il n
twist thstll make the critter
squeal"
Murdoch explains that he seldom
goes 10 the senate. for fear he win
get n chill.
The first thing you see over
there" he says. ''is n sign on the
elevator. Private: for the Use OF
Senators only: and then. when you
think you have found an elevator
for the public" he continues, you
find that II Is only for the public
In case a senator does not want TO
use II.
III a senator does get In. there is
a rule that the senator must be de.
livered first.
Sounds funny7
1T may be funny. but by the time
the first senator Is off another has
gotten on. and you are kept sliding
up and down until the Joke grows
stale"
Next he tells them OF the rule
which forbids applause in the gal
lery. and how. during the Panama
canal debate. Vice President Mar
shall ordered the galleries cleared
because two Kansas women repeat.
ed their applause.
The absence OF any rule to limit
debate In denounced by Murdoch
as means OF unreasonable OBJ
struction in the way OF good
measures.
~ agree with President vii.
son.r he says, "that there
should be more business and
less talk In the senate"
Much OF Murdock's talk In devot.
ed to explaining how the regular
republicans and democrats work to-
gether while keeping up q pretense
of fighting one another.
James Il. Mann. republican minor
/ ity leader. and John J, Fitzgerald
of the democratic side figure In spe.
cific instances cited for illustra-
ton.
How the machine gets the new
congressman reminds the candi-
date OF the story of the courage
Gus freshman who undertook TO 20
into the pasture and bring In the
bad bull.
Bring him, dead or alive" was
the farmers parting order, handing
him a gun and rope.
The gun misfires and the Irish
man starts for safety, with the bull
close on his heels.
open the gatel" he yells. I'm
bringln' him in alivel"
In his longer speeches Murdoch
gives an interesting account OF the