On Politeness

With the session barely under way, the House was beginning to look like a progressive-school kindergarten. One day last week, New York Democrat Andrew Somers, who has been around the House long enough (24 years) to know better, shouted "idiot" at Nebraska Republican Arthur Miller. Speaker Sam Rayburn was determined to enforce decorum before his 89 freshmen could pick up such uncouth habits. He got the House's Emily Post, professorial Representative George Dondero of Michigan, to lecture the boys.

Dondero's don'ts: don't smoke behind the rails or chew on unlighted pipes or cigars; don't park feet on the top or back of chairs; don't walk in front of a member who is speaking; don't read newspapers on the floor during a session; don't call colleagues by their given names--Jim or John ("we all know better--it's the gentleman or gentlewoman").

Though Representative Dondero didn't say so, there was an even simpler way than reading newspapers and gabbing to avoid listening to speeches in the House, That was to stay away. Only about 40 of the 435 Congressmen were on hand when Dondero spoke.

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