The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-05-21
CLARK'S REPARTEE
RECALLS OLD DEBATE

The repaTtse Of Champ Clark recent
Is in the debate over the canal tolls
bill. when TIE Democratic house leader
in answer 20 slurring attacks Of OppOn-
euts said, ''ShoO fly, shoe, don't bother
me o. has caused "reminiscences for II.
NJ. Irwin, who has an Oak Grove
ranch v here be resided until last fall,
when be left for Salem with his daugh-
ter. Mr. Irwin, who for number Of
years was representative Of the AmeIl-
can Press Association, covering TIE
proceedings in the lower house Of con-
eress, recalls the same expression was
used just about 90 years ago.
=. Mr. Irwin tells Of the interesting eX-
perienee in q recent letter to the Ore
gOnian.
Like history and the seasons, wit re-
pests itself in changing guises as the
ages pass. There's probably validity
IN the claim that there are only eight
originally genuine jokes in the world,
not counting certain statesmen m
congress and out Of it. and that these
have come down to US from remote an
tiquity, each Of the eight throwing out
an endless profusiOn Of branch joke
lets, varied in form, but all scions Of
the immemOrial eight.
I'm reminded of this claim on read
ing the OregOnian's telegraphic ac-
count of proceedings in the lower
house of congress, especially by d.
yerison during Speaker Clark's power
ft.I of -
repeal Of the.tolls act. Pausing in the
sweep Of his eloquent philippe, the
speaker "held his thunder IN mid-vol-
ley" long enough TO refer in a sort of
playful aside to some points urged by
Representative Harwdick, one of the
Democratic repealers.
so far as the gentleman from Geor-
gia is concerned, he said, Il say,
'Shoo, fly, don't bodder me. " This
clever flip, welcome break in the
strain of inteuse interest, sent wave
of uproarious laughter over the crowd
ed floor and packed galleries, continu-
ing long, in spite Of the pounding OF
the temporary presiding officer Tor
order.
The homely and telling little With
cism. so effectively used by Speaker
Clark. sent ripple of laughter through
out the land. But it was not the jokes
first appearance. ] happen to know
that the identical joke played the same
role in the very same place, over ~
years ago, at time when young Champ
Clark was probably trying out for his
first lob in Missouri, ths leadership of
country school. At that time l was a
reporter in the press gallery OF the
lower house for the American Press
Association.
1t was in the early '70s, when the
stormy legislation of the reconstruction
preiod was still holding large place
in congress. In those days questions
were threshed out in open debate on
the floor of the house. Among those IN
that strong body recall such men as
BENJAMIN f. Butler, James A. Garfield,
George F. Hoar, George f. Edmunds,
Sunset Cox, Samuel j. Randall, John
A. Logan, Daniel Voornies, John A.
Bingham, Allen G. Thurman, Fernando
Wood, Thomas B. Reed, men ready in
debate, joining in the catch as-catch-
can Wrestle of mind, skilled in thrust
and parry, and often making the SHARKS
| fly from their slashing brands.
Ben Butler was perhaps the most
widely known member, and also one of
the most active, a man of strong
frame, somewhat corpulent, with q
rasping quality of voice that was aptly
likened to that Of sawmlll with bad
cold. The noticeable defect in his 9TH
erwise good features was in his eyes,
so much affected that while looking at
you his face fronted several degrees II
another direction. But his physical and
mental vision were alike keen. Those
who nettled him were sure to find hin
as full of spinosity as porcupine.
He was swift at repartee. REGAL
one instance, the one which suggests
my present writing. One day when, as
a member OF the judiciary committee
Butler was crowding one of his meas
ures through, bill granting supple
mentary civil rights" penalizlng anl
hotel, restaurant, bar, etc, for refus
ing to accommodate On account of thu
patron S race or color, he granted The
opposition but scant time for debate
before he would call the previous ques
ton. The house was indignant, bu
cautious and wary. Forward strod
James A. Garfield, eXclaiming defiant
ly, "Look at the man who is cracking
whip over the house - Butler ges
tured over his shoulder toward him an
quickly rasped out: "And look at tn
man whose back smarts y
| In that days debate Sunset Cox, on
of the recognized and dreaded wits o
| the house, had been allowed a brie
| time, and put in a strong argumen
against Buffers bill, saying its It'll
/ should be changed to "a Bill to Etel
Il nize Hate" On taking the floor I
close the debate, Butler chose to ignor
i MIR. Cox in his final argument. Ih
latter, a man of small sstature, aC
Il vanced toward Butler through the rim
that had formed about him, and de
II manded: General, why don't yo
answer my speech?"
! Now, it happened that at that tin
the catchy little negro ditty, "Sho'
fly - was having a wonderful vogue
l The street Arabs aud newsboys whis
led the air, handorgans were grindin
it out on every corner, and at ever
. minstrel show you would hear vert
j after verse and refrain like this:
/ 81 know | mus be happy,
Il Because my mudder said
] De Lord am pourin' 'lasses
4 Upon dis darkey's head.
al feel, feel like a mornin' star.
Shoe, fly don't hodder me,
= For belong to Company G.
j You can imagine, then, the expIosi'
q roar of laughter when Butler, makir
q dismissive gesture with his hand, r
I torted: "As my anxious friend go,
q to his dinner he will hear my answ
from every hsnd-organ on the avenu
'Shoo, fly Don't bodder me " Tn
little retort was followed by the hear
s. lest and longest roar of laughter ! ev
heard in congress. 1t healed. inciden
ally, a good many smarts that Co
ready wit had made.