I was then acting as chairman of the committee before which the bill went.
A very brief experience proved what I had already been practically sure of, that there was a secret combination of the majority of the committee on a crooked basis.

On one pretext or another the crooked members of the committee held the bill up, refusing to report it either favorably or unfavorably.

There were one or two members of the committee who were pretty rough characters, and when I decided to force matters I was not sure that we would not have trouble.

There was a broken chair in the room, and I got a leg of it loose and put it down beside me where it was not visible, but where I might get at it in a hurry if necessary.

I moved that the bill be reported favorably.