Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-10
P[EABY T|[LMAN
Wins THE SENATE
Rule Adopted Which Puts Ban
on Smoking Within the
Chamber.

Senators will smoke no more in the
Senate chamber during executive ses-
sions. For years it has been their custom
been closed and they settled down to
handle nominations and treaties with
foreign nations.
Senator Ben Tillman's resolution for
which he has been contending for long
time. amending the rules of the Senate
SO that no smoking shall be permitted
at any time on the floor of the Senate
was adopted unanimously late yesterday
afternoon.
In addressing the Senate in support of
his resolution, Senator Tillman declared
that he could lengthen the life of each
senator in the chamber from six to fifteen
years if they would only consent to fol-
low his advice regarding eating and
smoking. He explained that the condi-
ton of his health made it impossible for
him to remain in the Senate chamber
when others were smoking.
'I am beset with the danger of being
driven out of the party and Of the Senate
ITSELF said Senator TillInan, "for my
very life depends on pure all"
Has Learned Natures Secrets.
Senator Tillman continued:
Since my illness four years ago 1 have
learned more about the human body than
during the balance of my life put to-
gether, and l am sure I have discovered
some of the secrets Of nature and laws
of health. of which most men know
nothing whatever. The pity of 1t is that
1 had to ruin my health before 1 dis
,ty,rrr Il t<Nxrv 20
live nationally. Had l lived ten years
ago as I am doing now. my health never
would have broken down at all.
Il believe ] would lengthen the life of
every man in this chamber from six to
fifteen years if l could only get them to
advice.
L owe what degree of recovery l have
made-and / am constantly being told I
look a great deal better. and l know 1t
is soto will power and self-control in
eating - the will-power to exercise my
muscles and nerves sufficiently to give
them tone, and keep the rust out of the
joints. But the greatest help to my
health arises from the self-control which
enables me to keep from eating things
ought not to. Since l was paralyzed
four years ago and read my own obtu-
airy, twenty lone senators, including Vice
President Sherman, most of them young
er men than 1. have died. No wonder. as
look around the chamber and see the
changes that have come and miss the
many old familiar faces feel as though
were serving with ghosts as well as
living men.
Too Many Banquets.
There is no doubt in the world to my
mind that this great mortality among
us is due to the way we live in Wash
ington. The life here is indeed an ardu-
GUS one; the mental strain is immense.
There is continuous succession of BAN
quets, dinners and receptions. Automo-
biles and street cars are used by Sena-
tors instead of walking, and pure air
and sunshine are things of which we
get too little. There is no surer way to
undermine the health than eating too
much. or eating irregularly. All these
explain the unusual mortality among the
of Congress.
"A fitting epitaph for most Of the Sena-
tors who have died in service would be:
He lived not wisely. but too well, and
killed himself eating. Indeed that can
be said about most men and women in
official life in Washington.
There is nothing more deadly than to
breathe air that has already been
breathed by others, and thus robbed Of
it's oxygen, besides being poisoned in
other ways. The ventilation of this
chamber is poor, as every one knows: and
when we increase its impurities by to-
bacco smoke as is being done all the
while, the air is never cleansed and is
very unwholesome and unhealthy"