El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-05-15
Greatest ShoO On Earth Is Session of u S. Congress-;
Debate There Can Provide More Laughs Than Best ReOue

WASHINGTON. D. c. Nay IS
w THE Greatest Show on Earth"
is not Barnum and Bailey's. but
L Is a session OF the congress OF the
United States and by this I do not
mean to cast any slurs at congress,
for men In congress, IN both houses,
are hard workers Even the dema-
gogs work hard at their trade. They
are the comediens OF the law making
body, or more correctly. the clowns,
for they are funny-maybe they don {
know Il. but they are
But couEreEss while q r. put
ing war taxes on other thinEu,
ought to exact an admission for q
seat IN the gallery war tax and
all, just rs any other amusing
performance collects admission
and pays n war tax for showing.
It Is funny to sit In the gallery
and watch them work, for even seri-
Gus men have their fun and the able,
serious ones are often very funny.
congress-
Fun In Congress.
II the day is good. there are more
real laughs listening to a debate in
congress than at the best Broadway
revue" For Instance. An appropria-
tion BIZ was being read the other
afternoon Congressman Thos Blan-
ton, OF Texas, raised an objection to
50 much oqllding IN the. District q
Columbia He didn't want a new roof
on the treasury department building.
why not patch it7" he asked. I'VE
are wearing patches on our pants
these days" he yelled
Calmly the chairman OF the com
mittee having the bill in charge said:
That roof has been patched for the
last five years-louger than the con-
gresham has been patching his
The house laughed. 50 did Blanton.
as he sat down, and they went on
about their business
Things such as this happen OFTEN.
The members are continually watch
ing each other and wit lies thick
and fast at times.
The way They Do II.
But the way they work amuses the
average spectator who IS not used
10 II For Instance. on this occasion,
there we're Just 50 OF the several
hundred representative OF the people
IN their seats as the bill was read and
most Of these we're sitting around
talking 20 each other. They paid ab-
Eolutely no attention TO what the
member was saying when he asked
questions OF the chairman unless II
affected them
Mr.. Blantou and one OF two others
"a man from Oklahoma with big
legged trousers on, was equally prom
tnent with the west Texan-Were
bobbing up every few minutes. but
IN the main the congressman sat In
groups or pairs and talked
Uncle Joe" Cannon. who. By the
way. sits Just across the aisle from
1Ir. BlantOn, was doing as peacefully
IS II he were at e grand opera per
1ormance. Suddenly the patriarch OF
the house aWolCe, blinked about MIN
8 bit, got up and walked to the read
Ing clerks desk, pulled At the elbow
OF a fat stenographer (male, OF
course) and asked him something.
Uncle JOe's Tobacco AChnEF,s
Ths stenoErapher smiled. pulled out
q drawer, took out a big plug OF to-
bacco IS black as an Insaved soul
and handed II TO Uncle Joe" The
aged Illinois laWmaker pulled off q
generous chew. stuffed Il in his Jaw
and sauutered back 70 his seat Evil
dently. Il % a customary happening
for nobody seemed amused az It
Something that impreasea one
Immediately about the house r.
that 20 many OF the goufherlers
wear long hair druped over on
one side OF the head and big,
loose fitting cOafE-noEfly Of the
cutasvay fype-and very big
Legged trousers. II e. a Gharuc-
seriEtic OF the southern laWmalreE
for some unexplained reanoa-
Debating = Point.
When the house, in further con-
sideration OF the Hundry civil ap-
preparation BILL reached q paragraph
making appropriations for the ship
ping board. Burns. Of Tennessee
moved an amendment giving the
shipping board much more money.
The rule OF five minutes debate for
each item IN the bill had previously
been agreed 20, but the representative
from Tennessee wanted more tine
The chairman agreed to this and sug-
gested 40 miuutes-twenty on each I
side The Tennessee nan conferred /
hu=riedly with some Of his colleagues
and said Il wasn't enough Then We /
Ere willing 70 allow an hour" said .
the chairman, and this was agreed to |
and the Tenn essee man opened the de-
The chairman Of the committee.
Good OF Iowa closed the debate and ne /
Gayea the shipping board unmerci- /
fully. II anything in this govern
meut Of ours is run without business 1
principles" he said 1T is the ship I
ping board"
Has ghipa II Can't Sell.
VIII the gentleman yield7" asked I
q Democratic member and the speaker
Is 1t not a fact that the shipping
board needs more money; that It can ]
Well Balance