Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-03-11
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AT NATIONS CAPITAL
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SPECIAL ATTENTION GNFN
TO NEWS OF IOWA PEOPLE.
Interesting Developments of Ma
tons Affairs Tersely Described
by Former Iowan for Iowa
Readers.
Public Opinion Bureau
Washington, ID. c., Mch. 8, 1914
An Hour in the Senate.

Washington, ID. o., Men. y, 1914.
An Hour in the Senate.
II was the last hour of the last
were weary with the debate which
had for days brought under consid-
Grafton every phase of the manage
ment of our great postoffice system
Senator Cummins was urging an
amendment to curtail the one-man
power of the Postmaster General and
at the conclusion of his speech an
attempt was made to prevent roll
call for fear it would disclose that a
quorum was not present. From
somewhere came Reed of Missouri,
evidently suffering from crouch,
and he had hardly reached the cham
ber before he began to talk. There
was snarl in his voice and he in
timated that the express companies
We're using Senator's to tie up par
cells post" which nowadays among
polite Senators is plain parcel post.
point of order, and in discussing it
had great deal to say about the
Senator from Io-way," with decided
accent on the way" Uncle Ike"
Stephenson of Wisconsin had found
a map of the United States and
Mexico at the rear of the room, and
he was studying the southwest cor
ner in a manner that might lead to
the suspicion that he was looking
for a whitepine forest that would
net him another million. OF course
he was chewing gum, as he is sell
dom without his cud. Possibly he
was pondering over his vote, sacred
thing with him, since the Senatorial
vocabulary of the octogenarian has
been limited from the outset to AYE"
and no." and if he ever had a
word or thought beyond that it has
never been expressed, not even when
the Senate was threatening him with
the boot.
rant, and Cummins was holding on
with both hands to keep himself from
jumping over his desk AS Cummins
proceeded with his reply, Reed grew
redder and redder. 1t was the sec
ond time in two days that the Mis-
sourian had been called" and he
followed the Iowa Senator, and made
the 'amende honorable" in truly
distinguished Senatorial style.
Senator Gore, .fresh from the tu-
multous scenes of an Oklahoma
court room, attracted more than the
customary attention which is always
bestowed upon the blind Senator
Bankhead of Alabama, in charge OF
the bill, arose to admit that he "was
in the same condition he often found
himself, in that he hardly knew what
to do" But everybody smiled good
naturedly, and gave their sympathy
to the farmer-statesman, whose sen
tences would have been roundly com
plete If he had only had straw in
his mouth. Finally there was rol
call, and in the midst of 1t Pitchforl
Tillman stumbled into the room
tines all bent, twisted and busted
AT the exact moment of his entrance
the clerk called his name on thu
roll; and South Cardinals back-num
Iu aolyn 10
Vote no." responded Democratic
colleague. whereupon Tillman sale
no" and the Senate smiled again
The amendments having all beel
disposed of the struggle was over
Everyone was ready to pass the bill
"All in favor of the passage of tn
bill will say aye" announced tn
Vice President. Those opposed vii
say no., The bill is passed." Not
single voice had responded to eithe
request. Silence must still be gol
dem anyhow the old rule that IS
lence gives consent" was invoked
The postoffice bill appropriatin
more than 1914, 100000 was finish
ed
A half dozen Senators sprang t
their feet with matters to press. Som
one moved to adjourn. The Chat
put the motion. Plainly enough tn
adjournment was lost. Vice Pres
dent Marshall glanced for momen
at the clock, Strengthened out tn
kinks in his legs, and looked at tn
disappearing pages who seemed
have no doubt that Mr.. Marsha
would stand by their decision