Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-12-01
Queer Bits of HitOry
copyrighted BY Champ Clark: 1914.l
By CHAMP CLARK

stretch against the repeal of the purchas-
ing clause of the Sherman silver law; Sen
ator Thomas Henry Carter 81 Montana
killed the river aud harbor bill III the
closing days III II session ~ speaking SIX
teen hours. and for so doing Sas reward
ed with 2 Louisiana Purchase Exposition
commits ioner-hip; and Senator Edward
Carmack If Tennessee ~ignalZed hi~ re-
tirement from the senate by talking ~
death a ship subsidy hill IN a twenty hour
speech.
Each ~ these speeches was D contlnn-
ous performance. except that Carter and
Carmack were rested from time 10 time by
the Intervention of conference reports.
senate bills with house amendments and
similar matters. In 1894. senator Mathew
Stanly Quay spoke for seventy mortal
hours-fourteen entire legislative days
against the Wilson-Gorman tariff bill, but
he was merciful to hi fellow senators and
broke hi speech M into sections VI two
and three hours each. which - delivered
at hi- convenience. Thus il will be seen
that Henry Clay. more than any other or
all Others. who shortened speeches IN the
house. for which We are all hi debtors.
When 4 member rises for the purposes of
speaking. addresse> the char, and i rec
ognized bv the speaker or the chairman.
n the ease may ~, ~ l. entitled u the
floor without interruption. III another
member desires To interrupt, the formula
i: the intcrrupting member says MIR
Speaker Ter Mr.. Chairman.l will the gen
tleman yirld!" The speaker NJ chairman.
a the ease may BE-. says Does the gem
tleman Weld 10 the gentleman from
Blank" The member entitled 10 the floor
replies, ia decline "a yicld.' or +'Yr~" W.
II yield for 4 question only" III ~ De-
clne~ 10 weld the chair does hi best TO
protect hm from interruption.
Now. that j. the formula prescribed IN
the rules, which also tOrbid~ members M
address each other IN the second person.
all of which J. Intended To preserve de-
corum, and % prevent quarrcl-. ugly
scenes and even fights. a. y matter vi
fact eager members frequently interrupt
the member entitled 10 the floor without
addressing the chair and without even ask
my permission Of the member entitled to
THE floor and sometimes Notwithstanding
the fact that the member entitled ID the
floor emphatically and even vociferously
or anerily declines 10 yield. Often this
sort Of proceeding causes much confusion
or uproar and occasionally prccipiiatcS "
near riot.
If. when a member begins u speech, he
states that he does not desire "a b. inter-
ruptcd, the speaker or III chairman IA thc
committee l. d the qui vivc ~ keep every
body of of him. Some members like inter
rEptions - u adds spice To tho debate and
gives them opportunity for rcpartec. 9th
err are Knocked ID pieces or ratified IN
interruptions.
Ny old friend John Dalzen ef Pcnnsyl-
wanna, one Of the ablc-t members | have
known Ia nineteen year. service IN thu
house, prepared nis speeches with great
care and did not want them chopped to
pieces, % he had a plan of his own o.
escape interruptions. A member would
asked If ~ yielded for 4 question. INV
would very courtcou~lv reply, Not Just
now. When ! have concluded my remarks
| will answer any and all questions" Down
would IL the inqui-itor and IN the time
Dalzcll had finished. nine times out III ten
the queStioner had forgotten hi question
or Dalzell had answered IT in the course of
his speech.
There A. no more enjoyable manifesto
tion 81 wit. humor, sarcasm, learning and
mental pugilisticS than when two strong
men iock horns in n cut and thrust debate
on a great question on the floor Of the
house.
In house debates, quarter J. neither
asked. given OF expected. Sometimes the
hottest oral fights are between men who
lrc the best personal Friends and some
times alas. 4 bitter debate cnccndcrS ami
mositie- which last during life. | am
happy 10 state. however, that such in
stances are rare and that ~ q rule little
III will results permanently from such en-
counters. Everyone remembers the ctlc-
bratcd passage ~ arms on the floor of
the house hetwixt those two mighty men.
James Il. Blaine and Roscoe Conkling.
which perhaps barred them both from the