The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-09-07

as many operators, several of whom
are women. From this point on it re-
celYes much the same treatment as any
other newspaper. A matrix is made
and from this plate is cast, which is
carried by truck to the press room.
Again on an electric truck the sheets
are rushed to the bindery where the
pages are clamped together, and then
it is but a few minutes before they are
shooting over to the station.
In the country where the national pre-
rogative of fee speech is considered
one of the most enviable assets, the
Congressional Record has a dignifed
and important political status. Ever
since 1888, when the United States
government was still looked upon as an
experiment, record has been kept of
the daily sessions of Congress, giving
in detail each separate debate and
speech. This record was known as the
Annals of Congress until the name was
changed to the Register of Debates.
From that it developed into the Con-
gresslonal Globe and finally it became
the Congressional Record, which seems
likely to remain its permanent cogno-
men. Bound volumes of these old pap
ers are on file in the Government Print
ing Office and are occasionally sold to
individuals at the price of $3.50 per
volume.
Although not attracting either the
circulation or the popular interest of
the regular newspaper daily, needless
to say, the Record is the joy and pride
of Congress. Here the members be-
hold their eloquence reproduced on
paper, and note with satisfaction the
clever replies or scathing rebukes they
administer throughout the course of
debate to their colleagues. Moreover.
the member who can not make his
house vote an appropriation for fed
eral site in his home town can at least
have his good intentions printed in the
Record and sent around to his consti-
tuents. The fact that speeches are
often corrected and revised MANY times
by their authors before they appear in
the Record is a fact not generally
known and has no influence on the folks
back home. Often whole speeches are
inserted which were never delivered on
the floor under the convenient privilege
of leave to EXTEND" and it is a prac-
tice not unknown for member to gar
nish his remarks and addresses with
neat little brackets enclosing the words
Loud Applause" or Laughter. Of
course, in the majority of cases these
insertions are made by the reporters
themselves who take them down as
they come, but members occasionally
put them in, if the text seems to re-
quire it,
/ Often corrections are requested after
/ the copy has left the Capitol and is in
the hands of the linotypers One night,
/ for example, a member of Congress
called the office of the Superintendent
! of Work on the telephone and said that
an important correction must be insert
/ ed after his speech in that DAVIS Rec
/ ord. Now correction is not an easy
matter in a system where each process
follows the other in such rapid success
/ ion, and it usually costs the government
/ several dollars. After some trouble on
/ this night, the Superintendent of Cor
rections discovered that the Record was
/ just in the act of going to press and
/ that it was not too late to grant the
reque It. A few minutes later the cor
rection arrived on slip of payer from
| the Capitol, at which the whole working
force was forced to laugh. although
they were considerably irritated. 1t
read merely, Loud Applause" to be
/ inserted in brackets.
Pleasing the oratorical congressman
is only an Incidental of the Records
function, however. 1t is really an ex-
tremely important paper containing
many well-written speeches which are
the products of men who have had oc-
cason to make a thorough study of
their subject and are singularly expert
in delivering it. Owing to the large
subscription price, the number of sub
scribers increases but slowly from year"
to year, but every once in while
member who has made a particularly
brilliant speech in the Record, ventures
to estimate that it will not be long be-
fore the official organ of Congress will
be self supporting.