The Washington times., 1929-03-04

his first act convened the new
Senate of the Seventy-first Congress
in special session and delivered a
modest, conservative inaugural ad-
dress.
In his speech, Curtis paid grace.
full tribute to the man he succeeded,
but he likewise. administered Dawes
an indirect dig bv declaring the
Vice President had nothing to do
with revising the Senate's rules.
This assertion came in sharp con-
trast to that of Dawes four yeas
ago. when the latter ridiculed the
Senate's rules, attacked them as
"subversive of fundamental. CON
servative government, and demand
ed their revision.
Whereas Dawes was audacious
and blunt, Curtis was conservative
and tolerant. Where Dawes pounded
his desk and shouted his defiance
of Senate tradition. Curtis observed
all the amenities and customs.
Outlines Own Duties
"The Vice President is not one
of the makers of the law, nor is
he consulted about the rules adopted
to govern your actions said Cur
tis. His obligations to the people
of the country to whom he owes
his high position and his duty to
you Senators call for a fair and
impartial construction of the rules
which you, yourselves, have adopted
and which you alone may change.
II hope to be able to sense
your desires certainly and surely; to
obey your will. which Is the will
of the people; to give it effect
with the utmost dispatch; and &C
expedite the business of the Sen
ate in an orderly and speedy man.
ner.
ITO do these things within the
limits of my abilities, | conceive
t" be the whole scope and sphere
of the Vice President"
What Dawes Said
This was an entirely different
view of the Vice Presidency thar
that expounded by Dawes four
years ago. On that memorable oc
casion, Dawes smashed a dozen
Senate traditions to declare: For
the Vice President to officially call
to the attention of the Senate any
collective duty such as an improve.
ment in the method under which
its business is carried on, so far IS
being irrelevant and uncailed-for
action on his part, is a supreme
duty"
Despite this disagreement of.
views. Curtis praised his pedeces
sprs. He declared Dawes had full.
filled his duties with credit and
distinction"
His speech concluded, Curtis inn
H. ediately administered the oath OF
office to those Senators elected or
reelected last November.
Ceremony Broadcast
The ceremonies were broadcast to
a listeningsworld. 1t was the first
time in history that the micro
phones had invaded the Senate
chamber. Two prominent news
paper men described the proceedings
from glass-encaseG booths in the
rear of the chamber.
The floor was jammed to suffocat-
ing capacity by Senators. Congress
men and Government dignataries.
They sat upon a forest of funeral
chairs. which supplanted the soft
leather arm chairs of Senators. In
the galleries, the crowds were so
thick that seats upon the steps were
accepted as a gift from the gods.
The administration of the oath
brought together four men, whose
political careers have interWined ID
the last few years. There was
Herbert Hoover, the incoming Presl-
dent. whom Curtis fought for the
Republican nomination last sum-
mer but who later accepted the
Kansas as running mate; there was
Calvin Coolidge, outgoing Presi-
dent, who refused to accept Curtis
for the vice presidency four years
ago but who later relied upon the
Kansan as his leader In the Senate:
there was General Dawes, whom
Curtis refused to follow on farm
relief year ago and thereby won
the vice presidency.
The proceedings incidentally
brought a President. a President
elect and an ex-president together
Coolidge, Hoover and William
Howard Taft.
Twenty.eight days left to file
your Personal Tax Return. Any.
ono in huSiuoSS January 1929