The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-08-17

serving his tenth term, and for 10 years
he vas a unique member of the house
In that, during oil of that time, he
never let one of his speeches appeas In
he Congressional Record. Since as
Stunning leadership and speaking for
the party he let's his speeches go in.
The gentleman by his side Is Finis j.
Garrett Of Tennessee, who acts as as
sistant minority leader. Mr.. Garrett
is in his ninth term. He is a keen
cutter, and can roast the Republicans
and their measures in q more polished,
clever and entertaining way than any
other member on his side Of the house.
Only Lady Representative.
Yes, the lady on the floor is a men,
Der. That is Miss Alice Nj. Robertson
of Oklahoma, the only lady member
and the second woman to be elected
to congress. She was born In Okla
lhoma 66 years ago. Her father was a
missionary to the Cherokees. Miss
Alice has been teacher, a postmaster
Of a first-class Office at Muskogee, and
in recent years has conducted very
successfully the largest cafeteria In
Oklahoma. She is not what some are
pleased to term themselves, a new
woman" She is a little old-fashioned
in a way, for she stands by her con
victions and Is not easily influenced
by organizations outside Of her state.
She was never a suffragist, and 1t may
seem an irony Of fate that the only
woman in congress did not favor votes
for women. Miss Alice is a popular
member. She accepts things as they
are, asks no favOrs on account Of her
sex and has more good horse sense
and Is less afraid to stand by her o
victions than are most of her fellow
members.
That old boy up In the press gallery
is General Sherwood Of Ohio. He was
a member of the Sixty-sixth congress,
but was retired by the landslide. Gen.
eral Sherwood was elected to congress
as a Republican in 1872, the year Un-
Gle Joe Cannon first came In. Then
he came back In the Sixtieth congress
as a Democrat and served Ia years.
~ EtiCl III IL StEb'ySCNNh JCuio Va
age. When retired from congress he
took up newspaper work, his former
profession. When asked the other day
If he would run again, he said: mo,
I can't afford It. I have got to work
now and lay up something for old age.'
But late newspaper reports indicate
that he may have changed his mind.
Not the Place for Oratory.
Who are the orators Of the hOuse2
Well, that is hard to say. You hear
many speeches I'm the house, but little
oratory. i know several gentlemen
who are noted orators In their home
states whom l have never heard make
a speech in the house. Those who
have been used to swaying the multi
tude with their oratOry don't get very
far with 1t In the house and 500 be-
come disappointed In their audience.
| must say the house is not a very
attentive listener. The members get
fed up on speeches. They don't care
for %eloquence. What they want are
facts. Order Is not very good. Men,
bers cOme In and go out; they talk
and read; they listen If something Of
interest is being said, but they are not
sitting there for entertainment and
Howery speeches do not draw large au-
diences here.
A speaker is often interrupted by
questions. Any member may rise at
any time and ask II the gentleman will
yield for a question. The gentleman
usually does yield, and he often gets
his set speech badly punctured and
comes out with a fiat tire. Many mem-
bers read their speeches. President
Wilson and President Harding, when
appearing before congress-, have al
ways read their speeches, and Secre-
tary Hughes read his great speech at
the opening Of the limitation Of arms
conference, SO 1t Is not necessarily q
sign of lack Of ability for a man to
read q speech. as II is often done to
guarantee accuracy. However, we
have plenty Of orators for all occa-
sions and can furnish the country
with a good supply for the campaign.
Do the men In congress today rank
up to those Of the congresses Of years
ago? Well, yes: l think so. If you
name your ideals Of other days your
list covers a hundred years. You are
endeavOring to compare this one con-
gress with fifty others. OF course, l
do not ARE to back this congress
against the whole Of American history.
The congress Is not made up of ex-
perts or highbrows or bosses or super
men. We have no breed Of ruling men
In this country. 1t is made up OF a
pretty good average of the citizenship
1t represents--men who meet their
folks back home on common ground
and do not tower too high above them.
Superhuous.
Walter Camp, the famous athlete