New Britain herald., 1917-03-05

the progress of the fight on the noor and get his opinion or advice. Be- tween visits he would sign bills., Half doxen Secret Service men blocked the narrow doorway and admitted no ono except this trickling stream of senators and the few who had been invited to attend the inauguration. Aside from members of the cabinet. who can hardly be put altogether in the class of invited guests since most of them wore thore on business. tho only men who came in this class were Collector Malone of New York and Dr. Cary Grayson.
 There were not many bills to sign. and most of the presidents time was spent in seeing those who came in on business. He talked to them stand ing up and sometimes walked about the room with one of his visitors, or paused with his hand on the visitors shoulder. Mrs. Wilson. who did not take of her hat. coat, or veil, sat by window and talked with Chief Jus ticc White. The president. active and lively as was his manner seemed to have all his faculties concentrated on what was before him. for his smile, though ready. was always brief and mechanical. and his face was grave even when he smiled. He wore an alert. intent look. Neither did he sit down. except when bill came to his table for signature.
 He is Passed. .
 AS senator after senator came across the fourteen feet of carpet to tell him of the progress of the fight, the situation on the other side of the other side of the wall grew tenser. La Toilette was again breaking in with demands to be heard. Hitchcock again, With the same immovable face, and the same fnflexible voice. offered him the floor If he would agree to a vote at 11:3O. It was then that, as La Toilette declared his only desire was for free discussion, Senator Hoke smith rapped out, That isn't true.s and La Toilette. springing from his seat with a flaming face shouted that smith was uttering falsehood.. A moment after the president had re- ceived this information another sen- ator brought the news that La Fol- lette had at last been forced into the open and had admitted that he would not consent to a vote.
 The president received the news without any surprise. He had long known that there was no chance of his measure coming to a vote and that the only object of the fight at this late hour was to force La Toilette into this admission and to keep him from delivering the great speech on which his heart was set, the speech that should become historic as the climax of the sixty-fourth congress He smiled his usual quick, short smile when the news came. but with no great relish.
 Senate Ridic1llcs La Toilette.
 Secretary Daniels. who was busy and looked tired. anne out of the room just after this. He had been in the gallery until in the morning and was up again at 8; and he was down there now to make sure of the fate of the bond bill As he came out. the swinging door of the senate chamber opened, and through the doorway came the sound of furious. jeering chorus of voices, without the formation of single word. It was the senate uniting in ! sort of wordless howl of derision as
 
 break in on the imperturable Hitch cock. shouted out that he could not consent to a vote without free discussion. The noise began at the word "conscientiously'' and drowned La Follette's last words. which were that If the president senate in extra session.
 S~~~s N- A I~~~ Smith got the floor for a second to back up La Toilette with the an- that he. too, would talk if he got . chance. For the first time l smile fiickered across Hitchcock's grave face as Smitt, demanded with some pathos to know whether he, a of the foreign affairs com- mittee, was not to be allowed to in- form the senate of his views.
 T certainly admit said Hitchcock, with smile that became grimmer as he went on, that as a member of the the senator has a better right to be heard than some others. however, distinguished they may be-" and, without even a glance to see how La Toilette took this subtlety. he went travelling on with his speech in the same even, unvarying tone. smith flushed, and moment later swung through the door and went across the hall to see the president. who received him with neither cold ness nor unusual cordiality.
 1t was now past 11:30. and the lands of the clock were moving rap- dly around to the moment that would md the history of the first Wilson ad- The stream of Visi- ors in the presidents room was be- coming thinner. Just outside the loor crowd of people who had be- 'ome aware of the presidents pres- 'nce was being held back by the orces of the sergeant-at-arms. Till nan was announcing his desire that lis name be added to the seventy five ignatures to the manifesto, making