Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-04-11
BLANT0N'S SPEECH ]
RIOT IN CONGRESS
WHICH BROUGHT A

Press dispatches which told OF the
announcement of Congressman
Blanton, of Texas, by one of his cols
leagues, Representative Garner, did
not quote any of the speech made by
Representative Blanton which pro-
voked the assault, not only of Gar
ner, but of Representative Mondell,
Garrett and others. Following is
The Congressional Records report of
Blanton's speech:
Mr.. Blanton: Mr.. Speaker, during
my entire career in congress l have
never yet said on the outside behind
their backs anything about the house
or any of my colleagues which l had
not Heretofore already said on this
floor face to face in your presence.
On January IL, 1922, from this
floor made a speech against some
of the perquisites of congressman.
made it in your presence face to face.
A few days previous l had fought
against the Ireland resolution pass
ed by this house paying all losses OF
our restaurants in the Capitol and
House Office building out of the
treasury. AS usual i was riidiculed
by a member. The lady from Okla
home claimed that I favored using
one roller towel week for family
My speech from this floor on Janu-
airy ~, 1922, showed just what is
furnished to congressman and the
perquisites we enjoy. In my speech
at Austin, Texas, l made just such
statements as l had made on this
floor.
Yet, in attempting to quote me in
last Sundays issue, The New York
World garbled facts with fiction.
l did not say that congressman are
shaved free. I said that our BARRIERS
have their barber shops, furniture
fixtures, lights, heat, water (hot and
cold), towels and such things fur
nished to them free, paid for by the
government, and in addition were
paid salaries of $40 per month out o.
the treasury, and that we paid then
25 cents for haircuts, when double
and treble this fee is charged in com
mercial shops. l said the body rub
bers in our bath rooms were paid $9I
and '$7S per month, respectively, gu
of the treasury, and that it shoul'
STOP. r'~'
/ said that in our splendid Office
we are supplied with a secretary AM
clerk, at an expense of $4,000 pc
annhm, with $3.50 bonus added; tina
we are supplied with the finest fur
niture and carpets, two typewritini
machines, comb and brush, clothe
brush, soap, hot and cold water, cleo
trio fans, and clean linen towels ev
cry iday. l did not say that the rug
o nfny office floor cost $500. I saiC
that the carpets and rugs in some O.
the large suits of committee chair
men cost $500. And if you will lool
on page 1868 of our clerks last repor
you will see that the rugs and car
pets for the interstate and foreign
commerce committee rooms cost tn,
government $1,124.S0. And on pag
36S you will see that for the carpe
on this floor our government pail
SHOOTS. And on page 366 you vii
see that for each Wilton rug tina
goes into our ordinary offices tn
government last paid $191.75 each
In stores they would cost citizen
much more.
Mr.. Williamson: Mr.. Speaker
will the gentleman yield?
Mr.. Blanton: In a moment.
! did not say that the government
supplies each congressman with
whisky flask, a poker set, pocket
knives, and so forth. What I sal
was that in the sixty-fifth congress
each member had credited to his al
count in the stationery room $37
-