Changes

As Smith approached the podium, another Senator raised a point of order, saying that Smith had conducted himself in a sensationally improper and comical manner on his arrival in Washington. A baffled Smith tried to defend himself, but the VP reminded him that he was not permitted to speak until sworn in. Paine answered the question, however, saying that Smith had been misquoted. Although one other Senator tried to object, the VP firmly overruled all other objections, and administered to Smith the Constitutional oath.

As Smith approached the podium, another Senator raised a point of order, saying that Smith had conducted himself in a sensationally improper and comical manner on his arrival in Washington. A baffled Smith tried to defend himself, but the VP reminded him that he was not permitted to speak until sworn in. Paine answered the question, however, saying that Smith had been misquoted. Although one other Senator tried to object, the VP firmly overruled all other objections, and administered to Smith the Constitutional oath.

On his way to his desk, Smith stopped at another Senator's desk, where the '''Washington Gazette''' was on display. There he saw what Senator Agnew had been talking about: it was his interview with all those reporters, and the story made him out to be a total clown!

On his way to his desk, Smith stopped at another Senator's desk, where the ''Washington Gazette'' was on display. There he saw what Senator Agnew had been talking about: it was his interview with all those reporters, and the story made him out to be a total clown!

Directly after the Senate finished for the day, Smith went out onto the streets of Washington, hunted down the reporters in turn, and slugged each one. He chased three into the National Press Club, where Diz Moore, another reporter named Sweeney, and several other reporters tackled him and shoved him into a booth. Then they proceeded to tell him that he had no business being in the Senate, because he didn't even know what a Senator did, or how a bill became a law. "Honorary stooge!" one reporter called him.

Directly after the Senate finished for the day, Smith went out onto the streets of Washington, hunted down the reporters in turn, and slugged each one. He chased three into the National Press Club, where Diz Moore, another reporter named Sweeney, and several other reporters tackled him and shoved him into a booth. Then they proceeded to tell him that he had no business being in the Senate, because he didn't even know what a Senator did, or how a bill became a law. "Honorary stooge!" one reporter called him.

Senator Agnew again asked whether he was prepared to yield, and Smith said no, that he felt fine, and that he would begin reading the Constitution. Several Senators threw up their hands and sighed when he said that last.

Senator Agnew again asked whether he was prepared to yield, and Smith said no, that he felt fine, and that he would begin reading the Constitution. Several Senators threw up their hands and sighed when he said that last.

Smith read the Constitution all the way through, with all of its amendments to date. (This would have ended with [[Amendment XXI]], or the repeal of Prohibition.) He continued by reading from the Gospels and the Pauline Epistles.

Smith read the Constitution all the way through, with all of its amendments to date. (This would have ended with the [[Twenty-First_Amendment]], or the repeal of Prohibition.) He continued by reading from the Gospels and the Pauline Epistles.

=== The collapse ===

=== The collapse ===

The rest of the story, one may infer from the last scene in the motion picture. Smith awoke, perhaps to find himself lying on a sofa in the cloakroom. Someone, perhaps Senator Agnew, who was his Party leader, no doubt told him of what had happened following his collapse: that Senator Paine had tried to shoot himself, managing to damage some of the lighting fixtures in the cloakroom, and then had burst into the Senate chamber, shouting almost incoherently that every word that Smith had spoken had been the truth, about Taylor, about Section Forty, and about the "rot and corruption" in Colorado, of which Paine himself was a part. Paine had then and there tendered his resignation from the Senate, after which the Senate had vacated the report from the P&E Committee and had passed a motion to send the Deficiency Bill back to House/Senate conference, with Section Forty excised.

The rest of the story, one may infer from the last scene in the motion picture. Smith awoke, perhaps to find himself lying on a sofa in the cloakroom. Someone, perhaps Senator Agnew, who was his Party leader, no doubt told him of what had happened following his collapse: that Senator Paine had tried to shoot himself, managing to damage some of the lighting fixtures in the cloakroom, and then had burst into the Senate chamber, shouting almost incoherently that every word that Smith had spoken had been the truth, about Taylor, about Section Forty, and about the "rot and corruption" in Colorado, of which Paine himself was a part. Paine had then and there tendered his resignation from the Senate, after which the Senate had vacated the report from the P&E Committee and had passed a motion to send the Deficiency Bill back to House/Senate conference, with Section Forty excised.

The rest of Smith's story would have been anticlimactic. Smith went back to Colorado, with Clarissa in tow, to find himself called to testify before the Colorado Senate in an [[impeachment]] proceeding against the Governor, and to learn some very nasty facts about the treatment (on a level of physical violence, no less) that Jim Taylor's goons had given to some of his Boy Rangers. The story that those boys, and Diz Moore, would have had to tell him made him thoroughly angry all over again, and more determined than ever to stay in the Senate and thoroughly crush the Taylor machine. He returned to the Senate, accompanied by Henry Hill, who ironically had been the first choice of a "citizen's committee" to replace Sam Foley, and who now was the replacement for Joe Paine. At the same time, he probably took days to process the thought that, within less than two weeks of joining the Senate, he now had become the senior Senator and was presenting the credentials of yet another colleague.

The rest of Smith's story would have been anticlimactic. Smith went back to Colorado, with Clarissa in tow, to find himself called to testify before the Colorado Senate in an [[impeachment]] proceeding against the Governor, and to learn some very nasty facts about the treatment (on a level of physical violence, no less) that Jim Taylor's goons had given to some of his Boy Rangers. The story that those boys, and Diz Moore, told him made him thoroughly angry all over again. Apparently, Jim Taylor, who controlled almost every newspaper in Colorado, had prevented any word by Smith, and any story in his favor, from being printed or aired. This explained all those heartbreaking telegrams that had flooded the well of the Senate and prompted his collapse. But what would have made him ready to strangle someone was learning what happened next: Clarissa had dictated some stories to the boys who ran ''Boys' Stuff'' and suggested that they print and distribute an extra. They had done this, and then Jim Taylor's men had assaulted those little boys, sacked the press, stolen every issue that the boys hadn't handed out yet, and in one really sick-making case, run several Boy Rangers off the road.

 

Smith was more determined than ever to prosecute Jim Taylor and his minions, stay in the Senate, and thoroughly crush the Taylor machine. The Colorado government was safely in the hands of a provisional appointee, and the assaults on his boys had taken place before witnesses, all of whom were now more than glad to testify. Smith returned to the Senate, accompanied by Henry Hill, who ironically had been the first choice of a "citizen's committee" to replace Sam Foley, and who now was the replacement for Joe Paine. At the same time, he probably took days to process the thought that, within less than two weeks of joining the Senate, he now had become the senior Senator and was presenting the credentials of yet another colleague.

Jeff and Clarissa were married, as soon as the excitement had died down and he wasn't so busy cleaning up the mess that Taylor and Paine had made. Jeff would, of course, have stood for re-election to a four-year rump term in 1940 and won easily. One can only imagine, however, how he would have felt, had he been a real person, when, more than a year later, he was called upon to vote on a declaration of [[Second World War|war]].

Jeff and Clarissa were married, as soon as the excitement had died down and he wasn't so busy cleaning up the mess that Taylor and Paine had made. Jeff would, of course, have stood for re-election to a four-year rump term in 1940 and won easily. One can only imagine, however, how he would have felt, had he been a real person, when, more than a year later, he was called upon to vote on a declaration of [[Second World War|war]].