The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-02-26

rank and pay. Grant was poverty
stricken and everyone wanted to keep
him from starving, but with the fill
buster on there was no way Of get
ting the bill up to a vote.
+ \ X
THAT last morning wore OH toward
noon and by 10 o'clock party feeling
and personal rancor we're running
very high. It was dangerously near
noon when lamar Jim Wilson
climbed up on his desk and began to
wave both arms for recognition. The
scene OH the floor resembled pande-
monium and the galleries were now
wide awake. Speaker Carlyle finally
managed to recognize Wilson. who
was tall. lanky. bearded and quite
picturesque Scotchman.
"'Mr. Speaker yelled Wilson at
the top of his voice, If my Democrat
ic friends on the other side of the
aisle will permit the General Grant
retirement bill to be taken up and
acted upon without obstruction. l
will be willing to ask my Republican
friends to withdraw their dilatory
Frederick Wilson contest at once
I'VE will! We will shouted the
Democrats. who wanted his blood.
and there was roar Of approval,
even in the galleries.
so the House Immediately voted
to seat Frederick. the Democrat, and
unseat Wilson, the Republican. Fred
erick took the oath and the Grant bill
was passed. on a suspension OF the
rules. by more than the required two
thirds vote. OF course there had
been no great sacrifice on Wilson's
part. as he had only about ali hour
more to serve anyhow, but 1t meant
two years pay. or $4,000 for Frederick
$4,000 for a single vote.
\ X X
Il was then page boy at the desk.
Gen. John B. Clark. Jr.. of Missouri
was then clerk of the House and he
was over in the Senate waiting for |
the Grant bill or whatever else the |
house might have to be rushed to him |
because, as said, the corridors were |
packed and 1t was almost physically |
to get from one chamber |
TO the other.
Twelve o'clock, the time for the
ceremony, had come |
and gone. But the clocks had been |
turned back in both house and sem
ate. Senator Isaac Bartlett. white |
bearded patriarch. had the honor of |
turning the senate clock back with
his long cane. An immense mob of |
people waited impatiently for the
outside. but no one want
ed to adjourn until the Grant bill
had gone through.
while Gen. Clark waited at the
main door of the senate. President
Arthur was waiting In the presidents
room outside the chamber for the last |
bill he would sign as president. He
waited long time, but there also.
to preserve the fiction, the clock had !
been turned back.
X \ X
Il imagine that perhaps only boy |
could have wriggled through that |
throng in the corridors that day. At |
any rate. was handed the Grant !
bill and given the job of breaking |
through after having taken the bill to
the enrolling clerk.
Sometimes by crawling between
peoples legs and sometimes by buck
ing the line In football fashion, I !!
to make my way to Clark.
The committee on enrolled bills soon
had the Grant measure and presented
i to President Arthur. who signed it.
by that time it was close to /
o'clock. Hendricks was at once in
iucted as vice president and every
one went out onto the platform for
he inaugural.
Such a thing couldn't happen In
,hese days. We have a little more
about the way we do
things"
TOMORROW-William Tyler Page
tells Of his interesting personal ex-
periences at the time Of the Harrison,
second Cleveland and Mckinley In
4 ururat 1nns