Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-03-08
iBY Oliver owen Kuhn.l

a. p
Those were arduous times for me
during the period OF COMMITTEES con-
sideration when everyone seemed to
take particular delight In criticising me
and Offering suggestions whereby 4
might be changed" said the act, nee
bill. as II, resumed it's story Of how It
was passed by congress. but tho
worst times were yet to come After
the chairman Of the committee had
written his. report telling just why
should receive the approval of the
great national legislative body, c was
carried back to the house the next day
and the chairman simply laid me on
the clerks desk. Some chairmen have
the right to report bills at any time
from the fioor. 1t seems that mine
didn't AT any rate back went to the
government printing office again, after
having been duly scrubbed upon by the
attaches there at, the clerks desk.
where I was all dressed up once more.
Promptly the next day ], was returned
to the house. ] was assigned to the
calendar for was not privileged and
could not be considered out OF my
turn, There waited for weeks wish7
ing that something couI1 be, done In
order that might not become thor
oughly afflicted with sennui es
mot being a bill requiring consider
alton in the committee of the whole,
eventually was taken up and read to
the whole house. This was the FIRST
time that the members Of the body had
been enlightened as to my purported
good qualities. Ny egotism soon van
isl1ed and i really began to think there
wasn't anything good in me. An acute
A,1
ner in which the members of the house
jabbed me. tore ME and otherwise
bumped me shout At this period they
have the right to alter any measure
and I verify believe that fifty amend
ments were proposed before, attacks
ceased and debate died down. Then
was ensrossed and again received a
new dress at the hands Of the printer.
There came a very critical period In
my life. for the speaker day or SO
later raised the question as to my en-
xrossment and thirdt reading. Meas
lures reaching this stage fare particu-
iarly fortunate and deemed myself
So but 1t was with quavering and
quaKing that i awaited the result. for.
when the question OF engrossment and
third reading Is decided in the mega
tive bills become as dead as II. they
were massacred on the floor OF the
house by regular roll call vote. How
ever the house treated me kin dly and
acted in the affirmative I was called
by title and q member demanded a
reading OF my full contents In en-
crossed form. That necessitated my
going back to, the custody OF the Off
Gals at the clerks desk who again
placed a few marks on my back and
sent me TO the government printing
office for even another dress. When
came back was brought up for third
reading and passage and II seemed
that must have been Importation
the floor OF the mouse for once during
my experience. was filed. nearly every
msuiba- eccpnying his seat The read
ing clerk then again in loud toned
voice Skipped thru my. many pages and
the speaker without a motion from the
floor put the question rs 10 the pass
age of the bill. In about twenty min
ntes i. knew definitely that I had been
approved by the house and vent on
my way, back thru the hands Of the
clerks and the government printing Of
fee, from whence emerged as An act
Of the house Gee, but I was 1ubilant.
=. AFTER being again formally entered
on INC DOOAS DA thC yNOAoC. "HA canhSS
by the clerk, was transported across
the capitol to the northwing where !
made my bow to the senate. It being
duly announced that had been passed
by the lower house. The senate didn't
seem much ftrried whether I had gone
as far as 4 had. and. In prefunctory
fashion, I was referred to committee
for consideration by the vice -president
NY travels thru the senate were as
accurately checked up at all stages as
in, the house. I did not make a move
but that some clerk In the secretary's
office did not scribble something in a
record Book or on my back At any
junct lure they could tell Just where
was and what was being or. what had
been done. '' ~ - f@>@|s" --
Wei. my experience In the senate
committee belied my first impression
shat the senators were not in the least
interested In me. aIy experiences there
resembIed the awful treatment I re-