Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-01-26
Some Little Stories and
Gossip of the Legislature



Senator Cusiek passed hard one up
to President Moser yesterday afternoon.
Under the senate rules a bill reported
back favorably and unanimously auto
matieally goes on the calendar for third
reading and final passage owing to
some misunderstanding as to just what
was before the senate a resolution of
this kind had motion TO adopt made
concerning it, that in six day as you
please discussion was lost sight of.
Cusick got puzzled and later when there
was not much doing asked the president:
''What becomes of a report favorable
to a bill if the report is not adopted"
Moser was nonplussed, not under
standing what Cusick had in mind.
"Why 1t is not necessary to adopt a re-
port if it is unanimous" was the reply.
"But suppose we did vote to adopt
such a report and il should not be ear
ried what effect would that have and
what would become of the bills" again
asked Cusick.
"Well, why 'er," puzzled the presi-
dent as he tried to absorb what Cusick
was getting at, "there can no such
thing happen the bill goes on the cal
endar-
"But, Mr.. President" said Senator
Huston, half rising from his seat and
wearing that kind of a smile a small
boy dons when he is doing something
he hadn't ought to, ~ think the SEN
ator has asked a very pertinent ques-
tion, and one that opens a wide field for
discussion. 1 find"
"And so do find" said the presi-
dent rather loudly, "and l find you are
all out of order, there is nothing before
the senate and you are talking at ran,
DOM"
Cusick bowed his head over his desk
as though in prayer, and Huston wore
an entirely new brand of smirk, which
he seemed to think was the fitting ac-
compartment of childish innocence.
The Corvallis Times, if we are not
mistaken, seems to think that the senate
reporter for the Capital Journal has no
sympathy for the folks over in Benton
county in the beaver-infested region just
because he spoke of Lafferty's bill
anent the pestiferous busy bodies in a
light and airy vein. Such is not the
case. 1t was because he did sympathize
with the beaver victims that he men
toned the matter at all. "There is
many truth spoken in Jest, and in this
case there was not q word about the
measley pigmy submarines the reporter
did not feel clear down TO his sandals.
Anything Representative Lafferty does
to those destructive wards of senti-
mentally damphool state has his hearty
endorsement, even to the consolidation
of the game department with the indus
trial welfare commission. The latter
might do something to amehorate the
formers S condition of what the late
Grover Cleveland called "Innocuous
desuetude. d"
Representative Lunger, who halls
from Yamhill county, ia a speech yes
terday referred to living like "poet
on his royalty" The question is, els
Representative Lunger perfectly ia
miliar with the royalty poets receive for
the sale of their books2" Has the rep
resentative ever produced a book OF
poems on which there was any royalty
paid2 Does he know from actual ex-
perience Just how high poet could live
on his royalties9 Are there any qoets
going about the country in $4,000 auto
mobiles, owning country estates, and
giving wine suppers, ETC., ON the pro-
ceeds of "royalty ~ Unless the repre-
sentative can show proof that he knows
what he is talking about when he quotes
ga poets royalty' as an example of
high living, he should realize he is
skating on thin ice. But maybe Repre-
sentative Lunger is a poet!
For moment Tuesday afternoon the
work of the house of representatives
was stopped while the "eourtesies of
the house, were extended to Vernon A.
Forbes, Jr., the six-months-old son of
Representative Vernon A. Forbes. The
courtesies were extended on motion of
Representative Plowdon Stott, and
when the sergeant at arms went outside
the bar of the house TO Mrs. Forbes
and brought the baby to its father, a
ripple of genuine amusement went over
the house.
And Vernon A. Forbes, Jr., did not
seem to mind occupying the spotlight
of attention, and seemed well-pleased
at getting back again into daddy 8
arms.
Although the pressing business of
state perforce drew attention to less
beautiful subjects, the Legislators,
pages, clerks and news writer's occasion
ally stole glances at the young fellow
who was beginning his legislative work
early. But instead of following out
the good old American principle of the
majority ruling, he was inclined to be
despotic and rule like prince of the
royal blood. And it so happened that
in his desire to rule or ruin, ruin and be
happy, he decided both to rule and ruin
and be happy and started in to demolish
the coiffure of stenographer whose
heart was touched by the baby in the
midst of the Oregon legislature.
Did the stenographer mind that her
hair was being torn into tangleS Not
a bit. Vernon A. F., Jr., made q hit
Immediately with that particular stenog-
rapher, and he eooed his pleasure and
smiled into her eyes, while his baby
fingers tugged at the strands of her
hair.
And during the remainder of the
day . session, he ruled - but he ruled
like the Prince of Love in the Kingdom