Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-01-13
WE LOVE WORDS.

our esteemed contemporary. the
I Congressional Record, Is coming In
again Congress has been IN ses-
sion more than month. and It's time
has been taken mp with speeches
which have no bearing on construc-
: tive legislation. Also many gentle
men Of the lower house arc asking
and receiving permission 10 make
hour-long speeches at designated fu-
turc dates on subjects IN 10 wise re-
I lated 10 any matter Of legislation.
( Unanimous consent il required for
such speeches, and the more than
four hundred members give the re-
CURED consent because each Of them
has a speech, bottled w in his sys-
TEN, which he expects 10 deliver
through the courtesy Of unanimous
consent,
or course the primary idea Of
these speeches is consumption back
In the home districts The oratori-
cal efforts are to De converted into
campaign documents for distribution
through the mails under the con-
gresslonal frank only slightly sec
ondary in motive Is the vanity Of the
congressman who really believes he
hns something to say OF vas, Import
anec 10 the nation. He likes to hear
himself crate. He Is pleased with
the sound Of his own voice. He has
some words which he wishes to work
off IN sonotous sentences whether
his words convey ideas OF eonse-
mcnco, ~ matter of small concern
To him. He has words, and what's
the use u having them unless he
uses themY
Hut excessive use OF words il an
American fault upon which members
of congress have no copyright Get
into any sort of public meeting and
you will find somebody generally
quite a number of somcbodics-who
wishes to talk long ana loud when
he has nothing TO say worth while.
or. lf ho has something worth while
To say. he generally takes from five
to ten times as long 20 say 4 az ia
necessary. lie borcs everybody cx-
cept his own much pleased self
Illustrative OF this American habit
Of tropical luxuriance Of yerbiage, We
know 81 no stronger example than
the story of the performances of the
Ford peace party at a student reeep-
ton In the capital of Norway. Chris
tlanla is great educational center
and the student organization of the
various colleges invited the party to
a meeting where the purposes OF the
expedition might be explained. MI
of the newspaper mems accounts OF
whit occurred at that meeting are In
agreement. but here IS an excerpt
from the report of the philadelphia
Public i.edger's correspondent
Or. Jones mounted the rostrnm
with great dclihorhtion. He took
AUAE hiAUAfs tfAA ilAR hNif''' -
beard like TN rising roar OF train
came an denominations huii Norrffway'
Hall Norrrrway Hail Norrrrwhyl lihll
Norrrrway. you whose SONS have tilleu
our grnnaries with wheat tau
Norrrrwayt
Words, words words, like Na' e.
Of the sea. welled out Of the Reverend
Ranta Claus hut Il was not apparent
that the words meant anything what
do We expect to accomplish we 40
not know How do We expect 10 ne
conpiiah IT, We cannot tell An *.
preston of curiosity. which rapidly
melted into boredom. settled on every
Norwegian Students fate. Politely
they applauded. when Santa Claus
subslded. lie had spoken for a half
hour. he had said nothing
"i.leutUuHnt Governor icihea. ~
south Carolina. mounted the rostrum.
Again the shaking toreflnger was Mt.
ed a. heaven. Again the ample word
rolled on It's way unmpeded by
thought There Is no evidence tha1
the activities OF Lieutenant Governor
nethcafs vocal cords are attended by
any cerebral action whatever II was
impossible 20 look the NorWcgians in
the face. they were SO polite aud -
bored
other speakers followed with
words which meant nothing, told
nothing. aud the Norwegian audience
VAS more buitd. Then Mr. t.oehper
private secretary To Henry Ford, rose
and had the audience interested from
the h,emnnr. because he told them
in shout three minutes the plans of
+ the expedition
After The meeting was over Mr.
+ Kenhau. chairman Of the student
body. said 80 the newspaper cores
( pondeut.
"only Mr. l.ochuer understands oar
Norwegian way OF speaking. He gives
( sou facts and uses net SO many words.
/ You Americans are fond of words, are
( sou not %
The Young Norwegian sized up the
situation al once We are fond Of
words when We are using them our
selves. and We arc especially fond Of
them II W. happen 70 be members Of
congress.
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